Delays and soaring costs - but council insists Marine Lake Events Centre is still happening
More borrowing is planned as cost rises by almost 50%
Hello and welcome to The Southport Lead.
Under the original schedule, The Marine Lake Events Centre would have opened this year but instead progress hasn’t progressed that far beyond the demolition of Southport Theatre and Convention Centre.
Instead, we now have a situation where the opening date has been pushed back by three years and the total cost has increased by almost 50%.
Critics remain sceptical about Sefton Council’s ability to deliver the major project but it remains defiant in its intentions and will next approve additional eight-figure borrowing to make sure it becomes reality.
Southport briefing
🚨 A body has been found in the search for missing man Stephen Molloy. The 60-year-old, from Southport, was last seen had been missing for almost two week and Merseyside Police and his family had issued repeated pleas for help, warning that Stephen struggles to communicate and was travelling without any money. On Wednesday night, a body was found at Renacres Lane in Halsall, around four miles from where he was last seen. A spokesperson for Lancashire Police said: “At just before 10pm on Wednesday 17th June we were called to reports of a sudden death on Renacres Lane, Halsall. Emergency services attended the scene and very sadly found the body of a man. Our thoughts are with his loved ones at this difficult time. His death is not being treated as suspicious, and a file will be passed to the coroner in due course.” Merseyside Police, which was leading the missing person investigation, later said the body was believed to Stephen and that his family had been informed.
🚧 The former Conservative Club on Bath Street could soon be converted to housing under plans submitted to Sefton Council. The historic venue served the town for eight decades in part as a snooker club and most recently as The Central Club but has been closed since last year. Now, applicant Siri & Jays Limited wants to transform the building into what it describes as seven luxury flats. Its application states: “The historic use of the site as a Former Snooker Club now empty will not present a loss of Visitor Accommodation nor have a negative impact on surrounding properties. The proposed building change of use of a redundant empty snooker club property to Luxury Self Contained Flats including existing facade improvements such as the replacement of previously replaced windows with Heritage Slim Framed Metal Windows and associated façade repairs can be seen as a positive regeneration and contribution towards preserving the character and appearance of the Conservation Area, as well as the overall street scene in general.”
Delays and soaring costs - but council insists Marine Lake Events Centre is still happening
By Jamie Lopez
The projected cost of Southport’s flagship new events centre has risen by almost 50% - but Sefton Council insists it remains committed to building it.
An extra £33m of borrowing is planned to fund the soaring cost of the Marine Lake Events Centre (MLEC) which is now expected to come in at £106m, up from a previous forecast of £73m.
Delays to the major development have involved the departure of two lead contractors and come at a time when inflation has had a severe effect on construction projects across the county. As well as the soaring costs, the delays mean the MLEC is now expected to open in 2029, having originally been planned for this year.
Despite the extra time and money involved, the council has frequently reiterated its commitment to building what will be a replacement Southport Theatre and Convention Centre (STCC). That building had fallen into a state of disrepair and was no longer considered fit for modern use.
The awarding of a £37.5m Town Fund Deal by the previous government had made it possible to demolish and replace STCC and the initial plan involved £33.5m be funded through that source alongside money from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Sefton Council.
However, the repeated delays mean a further £33m is required and next week the council’s cabinet will be asked to approve extra borrowing to fund that extra cost and take its total contribution up to £55m.
