There are concerns about the council’s flagship regeneration project cannot be delivered for the original £73M estimate and may end up costing ‘appreciably more’
The MLEC Marine Lake Events Centre construction site, Southport.(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
‘Delays’ to a much-anticipated, multi-million pound regeneration project, are putting hoteliers out of business, according to a prominent councillor, who also pointed out the escalating costs of the scheme. Cllr John Pugh was referring to developments along Southport’s Promenade which has undergone significant change over the last two years, after the town’s historic former theatre was torn down.
The demolition of the Southport Theatre and Convention Centre (STCC) is part of the clearance operation to make way for the hugely anticipated Marine Lake Events Centre (MLEC) development. The STCC was closed in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but Sefton Council put forward proposals to develop the site and replace the theatre with a ‘world-class’ events facility.
The MLEC is one of a number of schemes being developed as a result of the successful bid for £37.5m of Town Deal funding for Southport and has benefited from £17.7m of funding from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. Sefton Council previously confirmed a deal struck with ASM Global, which will manage the £73m venue.
However, things have not progressed as smoothly as first hoped. In September last year, the Liverpool ECHO reported on a major blow to Sefton Council’s plans for the development of MLEC when it confirmed the Pre-Construction Service Agreement (PCSA) with Graham Construction (GC) had been terminated.
Demolition work underway at the former Southport Theatre and Convention Centre(Image: The Propeller Fella (YouTube))
It was the second time a construction agreement has been terminated after the local authority announced it had ended the pre-construction services agreement with Kier Group back in December 2023.
The impasse led to a row breaking out, with Tory group leader Cllr Mike Prendergast submitting a motion on the topic, which he presented to the council chamber (November 13): “To lose one contractor is unfortunate, but to lose two seems incompetent.”
Last month, the council provided an update on the situation, and said it had entered into a PCSA with VINCI Construction, making the building firm the ‘preferred contractor’ for the creation of the Marine Lake Events Centre.
However, it is now 16 months since work started on the demolition of STCC, and despite the council’s recent deal with VINCI, people are still waiting for confirmation of when MLEC will finally be completed, and available to the public. For some, including Dukes ward councillor John Pugh, this wait is now turning into genuine concern.
Artist’s impression of Marine Lake Events Centre (Image: Handout)
Cllr Pugh said the contractual delays in replacing the Floral Hall and Theatre with a new conference centre have hit the hotel trade in Southport badly with an increasing number of hoteliers selling up and putting their hotels on the market. He pointed out that other hoteliers have been forced to survive by doing deals with the council to to provide accommodation for homeless people.
In the year of the Open Golf when Southport looks to capitalise on a huge influx of visitors, Cllr Pugh is worried the number of hotel bed spaces in the town is decreasing, he said: “It is widely accepted that many more quality bed spaces will be needed if Southport is to compete in the conference and events premier league and having a new conference centre was and is part of the plan.
“However, timing is everything and it’s five years since the Floral Hall closed and having a replacement eight years later has a real world impact. Smaller hotels live from year to year and don’t have the funds to patiently await the new dawn. Ironically a plan that was designed to boost the hotel offer has, through delays, done the opposite.
“Contrary to what people may be told, the council has still not agreed a final price with the builder (VINCI) and there will be much haggling ahead with the council now recognising that the project cannot be delivered for the original £73M and may cost appreciably more.
The MLEC Marine Lake Events Centre construction site, Southport.(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
“I am not faulting the council’s ambition, but such is the secrecy surrounding its regeneration schemes that there is no place for stress testing its plans. There is the glorious, over optimised world of council press releases and the bread and butter world the rest of us have to make a living in, and in that world hoteliers in Southport are finding it tough.”
However, these words did not go unnoticed by Sefton Council leader, Cllr Marion Atkinson who responded to Cllr Pugh’s comments, and backed the local authority’s progress with MLEC. She said: “The Council has long had a clear strategy for an ambitious future for Southport town centre, built on the extensive consultation and engagement process undertaken as part of the Town Deal bid.
“This includes strengthening the visitor economy, with more reasons to visit, to stay, to stay longer and to do so all year round – and the Marine Lake Events Centre is a vital part of that.
“Our commitment to that project has never wavered, but our focus has always been on securing best value from public money, and we have not been afraid to change contractor if required to achieve these objectives. The business case for MLEC remains incredibly strong, and we continue to work towards commencement of the main contract this year.”
Cllr Atkinson added: “These are exciting times for Southport, and Cllr Pugh should be celebrating this rather than continuing to talk down our town and its future.”