People are being encouraged to have their say on how the new Marine Lake Events Centre and the accompanying Water and Light Show in Southport will look.
Last week, four striking images of how the scheme may look were released by Sefton Council, ahead of a consultation which opens this Thursday (26th May).
Southport MP Damien Moore is now urging local residents and businesses to give their input into the scheme to ensure that the final design reflects “what makes Southport so great”.
He said: “It’s fantastic to see these newly released images of how the innovative Southport Marine Lake Events Centre, a central part of the £38.5 million Town Deal we helped secure from the Government, may look on completion.
“When the consultation opens, I really encourage everybody to take part and have their say on the future of our town centre, so that we can ensure that this vital addition to our local area reflects in its design what it is that makes Southport so great.”
The community will shortly be invited to share their views on exciting plans for the new, state-of-the-art theatre and entertainment space and a flexible conference and business events venue and water and light show attraction, which are anticipated to greatly boost our town’s economic and tourism sectors.
The ambition is for the new centre to be open in 2025, although that would be subject to planning permissions and other factors.
The Marine Lake Events Centre is the central ambition of the Southport Town Deal initiative, which saw £38.5million Government investment last year followed by further funding through the Liverpool City Region. The Town Deal projects are being delivered by Sefton Council.
Consultation events are being held at Southport Market in the coming weeks and a live webinar will take place to provide more information on the plans, which will be revealed when the consultation begins on Thursday 26th May.
When the consultation goes live, communities will be encouraged to have their say via an online survey at https://yourseftonyoursay.sefton.gov.uk/futuresouthport.
The consultation runs until 10th June.
The MLEC will replace the former Southport Theatre and Convention Centre which closed its doors in 2020.
The new development will provide a first class theatre space, a conference and exhibition centre able to accommodate a range of events, and a café and signature restaurant, providing facilities for both visitors and the community alike.
The plans also include a new Water and Light show installation on the Marine Lake.
Consultation events are being held at Southport Market on Friday 27th May between 11am and 6pm, and Saturday 28th May between 11am and 3pm.
A live webinar will also be held at 6pm on Thursday 26th May. You can register to attend the webinar in advance at https://yourseftonyoursay.sefton.gov.uk/futuresouthport.
A public telephone line has also been set up via 0808 168 8296. This is a freephone consultation hotline where people can call to speak to a member of the project team and ask any questions, as well as share any feedback.
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