Southport Town Deal Board has allocated £30million to create a new Marine Lake Events Centre in the town.
The new centre would replace the former Southport Theatre & Convention Centre, which closed in March last year.
The board has also allocated a further £3.3million for a new water and light show in the Marine Lake.
The schemes represent the bulk of the £37.5million Town Deal funding which was allocated to Southport by Chancellor Rishi Sunak in the March Budget earlier this year.
The Town Deal board and Sefton Council are confident of securing a further £20million investment from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority towards the new events centre.
The figures were revealed in a report being submitted to Sefton Council’s Cabinet next Thursday (24th June).
In his report to Cabinet, Sefton Council Executive Director (Place) said: “The total investment for the project, which includes the water and light show in Marine Lake, is circa £75million.
“The £33.3m from the Town Deal and £20m from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority is agreed in principle, and at the time of this report engagement is ongoing with potential funding partners and investors for any balance required. Options and recommendations will be brought to Cabinet as part of the final business case.
The proposed design of the new Marine Lake Events Centre in Southport
“The remaining budget gap will be closed as the full business case is developed. This will be through securing additional funding, and / or value and cost engineering to reduce the construction cost of that option with minimal impact on the financial performance or economic impact of the venue.”
Other funding from Southport Town Deal will go towards creating new co-working and business incubator space in Crown Buildings in Southport town centre, and provide infrastructure improvements to support plans by Southport Pleasureland to become a year-round attraction with an international IP partner.
£1million in Town Deal funding has already been spent on creating a ‘boulevard of light’ along the entire length of Lord Street and supporting the transformation of Southport Market into a new food, drink and events centre.
Separate to Town Deal but in conjunction with its aims, proposals were revealed earlier this month to create a new hotel, residential, retail and leisure development on the site of the former Genting Casino at The Waterfront which aims to complement the Marine Lake Events Centre scheme.
Sefton Cabinet members will be presented with five options for the Marine Lake Events Centre and light show projects available – they are being recommended to pursue ‘Option 5’, which would be to secure a new Marine Lake Events Centre and light show for the lake.
The schemes are estimated to create nearly 300 new jobs.
It would also lead to footfall of over 515,000 visitors to the waterfront, while also creating 288 jobs and boosting our town’s hotel and hospitality sector with nearly 60,000 overnight stays from conferences and events alone.
Early in the Southport Town Deal process, a vison and a set of objectives were agreed to help guide the business case and design work.
The vision is: “To transform the Southport Theatre & Convention Centre into a high quality, distinctive entertainment and business events venue capable of providing exceptional experiences to audiences and users.
“It will be an anchor for the Waterfront redevelopment, retaining and attracting visitors and driving economic impact for Southport.”
The proposed design of the new Marine Lake Events Centre in Southport
The new Marine Lake Events Centre venue would have the capacity for 1,200 all seated (dual use) – the design provides 1,482 seated and standing guests.
It would also have:
- Ability to reduce scale (x3)
- Quality sightlines and acoustics
- Flytower & proscenium arch
- Flexible seating arrangements for alternative event layouts (including partial flat floor)
- Differential seating for hospitality
- Improved dressing rooms and touring crew areas
- Event space able to hold a plenary for 1,000 delegates
- Breakout/ seminar facilities for 1,000 del. (dedicated or dual-use)
- Flat floor events space of c1,500m2 for dinners, weddings and supporting exhibition space of conferences
- Dedicated car parking (82 new spaces)
- Waterfront food & beverage infrastructured
- Does not require Council subsidy, circa £524k profit (operating year 3)
Do you have a story for Stand Up For Southport? Please message Andrew Brown via Facebook here or email me at: mediaandrewbrown@gmail.com
Metal recycling solutions Ferrous scrap transportation Iron recycle yard
Ferrous material data management, Iron reclamation yard services, Metal waste reprocessing center
Metal waste buyback Ferrous material pricing strategies Iron reclamation facility
Ferrous material recycling pickup, Scrap iron management, Scrap metal recycling services
Scrap metal reprocessing facility Ferrous material digitalization Iron scrap baling
Ferrous scrap handling, Iron waste reclaiming and recycling, Metal waste branding
Scrap metal shipping Ferrous material client satisfaction Iron scrap salvage depot
Ferrous material labor practices, Iron repurposing services, Metal waste recycle yard