Marine Lake Events Centre
The proposed Marine Lake Events centre (MLEC) will provide a state-of-the-art theatre and entertainment space and a flexible conference and business events venue, which will greatly boost the town’s economic and tourism sectors.
The MLEC will accommodate a range of activities including touring productions, concerts, large scale conferences and one-off events which will enable Southport to compete on a national level to secure major events and conferences.
The venue has the capacity to accommodate 1,200 seated or 1,500 seated and standing, as well as an exhibition hall with the ability to be divided into smaller event space, conference rooms, a VIP/hospitality lounge, restaurant and café.
The MLEC provides an opportunity to improve the public realm around the Promenade and Lower Promenade as well as pedestrian connections to the town centre. The public spaces will be designed to activate, animate and green the space around the proposed MLEC and along the Marine Lakeside. New planting will green the spaces, with seating terraces enabling visitors to take in the views of the Marine Lake.
Alongside the MLEC, the project will deliver the Marine Lake Water and Light Show, providing a unique purpose-built entertainment attraction that will draw visitors to the MLEC, the waterfront and wider town. Being the first of its kind it will provide a range of different shows created by large jets of water and a large misting water screen that can be projected onto with light and images.
Client
Sefton Council
Location
Southport
Social Value activities
Litter Pick
To celebrate World Ocean Day and to support Sefton Council’s social value and sustainability goals, the Marine Lake Event Centre project team conducted a voluntary litter pick around the marine lake in Southport. The marine lake borders the existing Southport Theatre and Convention Centre and will shortly host the Water and Light show. The project team wanted to promote the positive impact the MLEC project is having on the local environment and community in advance of the development commencing.
Schools Engagement
In November 2022 G&T, along with other consultants from the MLEC team, hosted an engagement session with students from Southport College and two local high schools. The session involved a presentation from the team on the importance of the construction industry, an overview of the project, the consultants involved and their roles. The students were then split into groups for a ‘break-out activity’ to look at local sites and discuss their ideas for projects, what consultants they would need, what local interferences there might be etc. This was followed by a short Q&A session.
