Work begins on ‘ambitious’ £73m Southport waterfront project to revitalise town - what it will look like

Work is now underway on a huge £73million project, expected to transform and revitalise Southport’s waterfront. Contractors have now moved on to the site of the former Southport Theatre and convention centre to begin work on the council’s state-of-the-art Marine Lake Events Centre.

Sefton Council were given the green light for the project earlier this year and it is expected to bring more than half a million new visitors to Southport each year and and generate an £18m to the local economy annually - and lead to hundreds of new job opportunities.

Workers from contractors Kier, could be seen on site on Tuesday installing the hoarding as Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram said the town’s ‘best days lie ahead’.

About the project: The Marine Lake Events Centre is one of the schemes being developed as a result of the successful bid for £37.5m of Town Deal funding for Southport. A significant proportion of this funding is for the Centre, as well as for the Light Fantastic, a water, light and sound show in the adjacent Marine Lake.

The works will see historic assets from Southport Theatre and Convention Centre safely removed and preserved prior to the demolition of the existing building. It is expected that demolition works will take a number of months, but first major utility diversions will be undertaken that will see critical work to water and electrical connections around the site.

Funding: Mayor Steve Rotheram and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (CA) recently approved £17.7m of funding for the new Marine Lake Events Centre. This was on top of £2.3m the Combined Authority had already committed to the pre-development work. Sefton Council will also provide funding of up to £19.7m for the project.

Sefton Council’s cabinet member for regeneration Cllr Atkinson said: “Getting contractors on site is the start of our fantastic, shared vision for the future of Southport’s waterfront and tourism economy becoming a reality.

“By attracting attract more than 500,000 additional visitors to Southport year on year and generating an extra £18 million for the local economy annually, the Events Centre and accompanying Light Show will be transformational for the town.

“They support our key objectives of providing more reasons to visit, to stay, to stay longer, and to do so all year round. And all of these will mean the creation of quality employment and career opportunities in the area.

“From the moment we revealed this ambitious project, we have sought the views and feedback of those living and working near to the site, as well as the wider community. We are delighted at the overwhelming support and excitement that the Marine Lake Events Centre has generated, and we look forward to seeing what the future has in store for this brilliant project.”

Metro mayor Steve Rotheram added: “Southport holds a special place in the hearts of so many people in our city region and beyond. While we’re incredibly proud of the town’s history and heritage, I firmly believe that Southport’s best days still lie ahead.

“Building on its legacy as a tourist town, I want to ensure that Southport can continue to thrive and attract visitors for many years to come. Thanks to devolution, we’re committing significant investments into projects like to the Marine Lake Events Centre to help get Southport on the up again.”