"Lives to be transformed" by Marine Lake Events Centre and Southport regeneration
Plus: The ultimate What's On guide for this May half-term
Hello and welcome to the 38th edition of The Southport Lead.
With construction finally beginning on the Marine Lake Events Centre - the replacement for Southport Theatre and Convention this week - we spoke to Sefton Council to find out exactly what the project will mean for Southport once complete.
With some residents doubting the development would ever come to fruition, the start of construction is seen as a major milestone on a metaphorical level as much as anything else. The involvement of an international operator also adds to confidence about the reality and size of the finished venue.
Also in today’s edition, we have Andrew Brown’s events guide for half-term and a troubling story about a disabled boy’s injuries and his grandmother’s two-year battle for answers as to how he received them at a respite centre.
“Once-in-a-generation” opportunity moves forward as construction begins
By Jamie Lopez
The Marine Lake Events Centre and wider Southport regeneration will help to transform lives in Southport, a key Sefton Council figure has said.
Speaking to The Southport Lead as construction began on the Promenade development, Cllr Cllr Paulette Lappin described it as a “once-in-a-generation” project.
Once complete, the new centre - which is a replacement for the Southport Theatre and Convention Centre - is expected to attract more than 500,000 visitors annually and provide a significant boost to the economy.
The project was made possible thanks to Town Deal funding which saw the government inject £37.5m towards a number of projects across Southport. Funding has also been contributed by the council and Liverpool City Region due to its potential to provide a major boost to the town and wider area.
Demolition of the historic venue, whose Floral Hall hosted the likes of The Beatles and Ken Dodd among many, many more, began last year and while many were sad to see it go, the building was no longer fit for purpose and needed millions of pounds of repairs and refurbishment which would not have been eligible for funding.
The departure of original contractor The Keir Group caused significant delays in construction but finally began this week with Graham Construction now leading the works.
Cllr Lappin, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Economy and Skills said: "The start of construction at the Marine Lake Events Centre marks a truly exciting moment not just for Southport, but for the wider borough and Liverpool City Region.
"This is a once-in-a-generation project that is expected to attract over half a million visitors a year and generate £18 million annually for the local economy.”
Once complete the MLEC will house a 1,200-seat theatre and a 2,400-capacity conference and exhibition space which is seen as a vital way to bring people to the town. There will also be offices, production facilities and a cafe and restaurant.
Cllr Lappin added: “"If we look beyond the numbers, this is about creating real opportunities. We're securing jobs, training, and long term careers for our future generations, both in the construction and the operation of this world-class venue.
"We are especially focused on making sure that our young people, especially those who are care experienced, can see a future for themselves here and make the MLEC their own.
"This development is a cornerstone of our commitment to regeneration with purpose where growth is not just measured in pounds and pence, but in lives transformed.”
Management company AMS Global, which runs hundreds of venues across the world including the AO Arena, has been chosen to operate the MLEC and oversee the Light Fantastic - UK’s first light, water and sound show” which will be located on Marine Lake.
Other venues within its portfolio include American amphitheatres and some of the biggest theatres around the world and its involvement with this site offers a sign of the scale of operation which could take place there once open.
When the deal was confirmed, Executive vice president of ASM European Executive Chris Bray described it as “a visionary and game-changing project for Southport and the Sefton region”.
He added: “The combination of a high quality, flexible venue and the Light Fantastic is a unique offer, in a stunning location, which will create an outstanding leisure, events and cultural destination for both residents and visitors.
“There has already been excellent progress in securing funding, developing the initial designs and submitting the planning application, and we are excited to now join the project team and share our wealth of experience of designing, developing and relaunching venues.”
“We look forward to delivering a busy concert and entertainment programme alongside a wide range of conference and business events that will provide a great meeting place and platform for the region.”
Two years on, no answers over disabled boy’s injuries at respite home
By Elliot Jessett
A nan is furious after her disabled grandson returned home from a respite care facility with bruising all down his torso and thigh.
The injuries were reported in March 2023 at Springbrook respite care home in Southport and just two weeks after the child was mistakenly given a double dose of his medication.
Springbrook is managed by Sefton Council which commissioned three investigations – including an independent review by an external expert.
Despite a series of criticisms relating to the centre’s lack of robust procedures and disciplinary action, each report concluded the cause of the injuries ‘remain unexplained’.
Adam is severely disabled and requires around the clock supervision. He was born with partial brain damage, is non-verbal and has quite pronounced physical tremors. He is cared for by his grandmother, Angela and both share a fully adapted home in Maghull with a spacious and accessible ground floor area for Adam to move around comfortably.
Adam and Angela are not their real names as the LDRS has agreed to protect their identity. However, great-grandmother, Val Howard is also one of Adam’s carers and is happy to be named.
Val said caring for Adam is a full-time responsibility and they are incredibly grateful for any respite care they can access, adding: “You have to make sure you’re well enough to give your child the care they deserve.”
Springbrook provides overnight short breaks for disabled children aged between seven to 17 years and can only be accessed following an assessment by a social worker. Children who stay at Springbrook have profound and complex needs and disabilities and are supported by a fully qualified team including waking night staff.
After reviewing Adam’s case, Sefton Council said in a letter to the family, it has examined disciplinary procedures and initiated an overhaul of the monitoring and reporting mechanism at Springbrook. Furthermore, policies around the administration of medications have been updated and new training provided to staff.
Some of this work was noted in the 2024 Ofsted inspection at Springbrook and detailed ‘high quality, child centred and nurturing care’ from ‘skilled, enthusiastic and experienced’ staff and re-affirmed its ‘good’ judgement’.
The provision at Springbrook is one of the reasons Val and Angela were both delighted when Adam was referred to the centre when he turned five-year-old.
The wrap-around care and supervision provided by the respite centre meant the family were satisfied Adam would be safely looked after and supported.
Adam had stayed at Springbrook numerous times, nonetheless the ‘double dosing’ and bruising incidents shook the family’s trust in Springbrook and they were no longer confident it could keep him safe. The situation prompted Angela to submit a formal complaint in order to get answers and to understand what happened to Adam.
After a two-year battle, Angela received a final response from Sefton Council on April 25, detailing the findings of the investigations.
However, the failure of Springbrook and Sefton Council to establish the cause of Adam’s injuries has left Angela angry and frustrated. These feelings were compounded on reviewing the report which acknowledged there was no disciplinary action taken against the staff member who ‘double dosed’ her grandson.
Angela says that when Adam was nine, he went on a weekend stay to Springbrook, but had to be returned on Sunday when he appeared to be in immense pain. During the afternoon, Angela said she was notified by Springbrook staff that Adam had some light bruising to his torso and was sent a photograph of some barely visible marking.
However, on examining him at home, Angela said the marks on the right-hand-side of Adam’s torso and thigh appeared to have worsened significantly and he was covered in dark bruising. On visiting Angela’s home, the LDRS was shown distressing images of Adam’s injuries from the time.
Angela said: “He couldn’t have got those injuries himself. It’s impossible.
“The minimizing of it left me fuming because he is so vulnerable and it’s devastating to think of him in pain and with such awful injuries. To make things worse, the report we got confirms the staff have not been held accountable and we still haven’t got answers.”
The LDRS has seen a letter from Sefton Council’s Director of Children’s Services, Dr Risthardh Hare, sent to the family in April, 2025.
The letter includes the final details of its investigations: “In March of 2023 the child sustained bruising to his right thigh and back in an almost linear pattern. At the time when grandmother was told about this injury nobody could provide her with an explanation.
“This was very difficult to understand given that the child’s care plan provision is to have a one-to-one ratio with staff.
“She was further distressed that when she took the child to Ormskirk hospital and when asked by the doctors for an explanation, she was unable to provide anything as she had not been given any account from the home.
“She was further concerned that the child was unable to explain because of his disabilities but clearly felt that an injury had taken place within the time that he was on respite care in Springbrook, and this was reinforced by the medical opinion from a doctor, when further photographs were shared.”
According to the report, the doctor said bruising would usually appear within a few hours of any incident and noted there were no marks on the child when he arrived on Friday for the beginning of the respite break.
The report added: “This was confirmed as he received personal care and a bath shortly after arriving and no marks were seen.”
One of the major issues for Angela is the initial explanation offered up by Springbrook as to why no one seemed to know what happened to Adam. She claims the staff told her Adam indicated he wanted ‘private time’, but says this is impossible because he is non-verbal and his care plan requires him to be supervised at all times.
The independent inspector in the council report said there is ‘no question in my mind’ the bruising occurred at Springbrook, adding: “These incidents are very serious and could have had more concerning outcomes, for example [if Adam] was at risk of losing consciousness from over-medication, or if he had fallen or slipped leaving his bed (assuming that this is what occurred) he could have had other and potentially more serious injuries.
The council report acknowledges mistakes were made and improvements were needed, but also points out Adam’s injuries were an isolated incident with no other reports of injuries at the centre. Furthermore, Springbrook’s last two Ofsted inspections have been good.
Val said Angela has fought ‘tooth and nail’ to get answers for Adam and the wider family, but are disappointed by the local authority’s latest findings, she added: “They blew themselves up when they had no explanation because he should be supervised. If he was they’d know exactly what did and did not happen.
“If it was an accident and it was owned up to then we could accept that, but not this.”
Angela added that she had to watch Adam ‘like a hawk’ and feared the potential dangers the excess medication could cause. “The thought terrified me. The whole thing is simply appalling and completely unacceptable.”
Mr Hare’s letter to the family outlines the local authority’s actions: “Following three investigations into the matter of the bruising, we can confirm the cause of the injuries remain unexplained.
“All appropriate procedures have been followed, and no evidence has been found to indicate how the bruising occurred. We appreciate that this outcome may be frustrating; however, at this stage, there are no further internal avenues available to pursue.”
In relation to Angela’s complaints, a spokesperson for Sefton Council added: “We are committed to working through the complaints process together with families. As part of that process, we do not comment on ongoing complaints.
“It is important that families are able to follow a staged complaints procedure and where necessary, they can take this matter to an independent ombudsman.”
The local authority have placed Adam at a new care facility where he is happy and settled.
What’s On This Week
By Andrew Brown
Southport has all the answers if you are looking for something fun to do during the May half-term holidays.
Spanning 22 miles Southport and the Sefton coastline offers a cavalcade of wonderful experiences.
Whether its walking and cycling trails, kite surfing in Ainsdale, sand dunes, red squirrels, beautiful pine woods and even prehistoric footprints there is so much natural beauty to soak up.
And with the May half-term fast approaching, we have put together a handy list of things to do that offer something for everybody without breaking the bank.
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