New theatre details made public as planning document published

Planning permission documents for the new Marine Lake Events Centre (MLEC) and Light Show have been made public.

Hundreds of pages of documents have now been released, in the hope of a successful planning decision later this year. If granted, demolition of the existing STCC building and construction would begin early next year, with the new facility opening to the public in either late 2025 or early 2026.

Council documents suggest that the consultation period showed 84% of respondents were supportive of the project.

The plan features a theatre/auditorium of 1,200 capacity all seated or 1,500 partially seated and standing and an exhibition hall with space to accommodate between 1,000 and 2,400 people.

A ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ style movable “HarlequinLiberty Ballroom” sprung dance floor for installation in either the theatre or exhibition hall and “leading digital technology” to attract a wider range of shows and events.

The project forms part of the Southport Town Deal which secured £37.5 million in funding in 2021. The MLEC has also secured £2.3 million funding from Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. The full cost is yet to be determined, but a figure of £75m has been widely publicised, and consultation documents say construction spend alone will amount to approximately £59.5m.

The documents also explain the change in design from the most recent plans, from those published last year.

Documents say: “In 2020, illustrative visuals of the proposed MLEC were released as part of the Town Deal which provided a guide as to how the vision could be realised. These views were for illustrative purposes only and to show our ambition for the site.

“Since the funding for the scheme was confirmed in 2021, an expert team has been appointed, including AFL and specialist venue and entertainment consultancy IPW, to ensure the building can deliver the required facilities. This has led to several design changes.”

The plans also give further insight into the Marine Lake Water and Light Show which could attract up to 288,000 visitors a year, documents suggest. The shows will likely run for 8 minutes each hour and can be continually updated with new content and displays.

Sefton Council say the new facility in its entirety will attract over half a million visitors annually, bringing in £18m of spending per year.

Sefton Council’s Cabinet are likely to support and approve the build, with the submission of a business case in the coming weeks the next major milestone in the project’s development.

Residents can view the application HERE, and submit a comment to planning officers HERE.