Sefton Council has appointed Vinci Building as its preferred contractor for the £73m Marine Lake Events Centre in Southport, bringing momentum to a project that has faced previous delays.
Vinci Building has now signed a pre-construction services agreement with the council and will work alongside the project team over the coming months to prepare the waterfront scheme for delivery. The appointment follows unsuccessful negotiations with Kier and John Graham Construction last year, making Vinci the third contractor to be lined up for the scheme.
The Marine Lake Events Centre is planned as a multi-purpose venue capable of hosting entertainment, conferences and major events. It will replace the former Southport Theatre with a new 1,200-seat auditorium alongside exhibition and flexible event space.
While the main construction contract has yet to be signed, Sefton Council said full works are expected to start later in 2026. Significant enabling works have already been completed, including the demolition of the old theatre building and extensive sheet piling along the lakefront to create new retaining walls.
The council and Vinci Building are already partners on the Bootle Strand regeneration project, providing a foundation for collaboration on the Southport scheme. Council leader Marion Atkinson said the authority was confident in the appointment, citing a shared vision and commitment to delivering a complex and ambitious project.
She added that the new venue would create jobs, attract hundreds of thousands of visitors and provide a world-class events destination for the borough and the wider Liverpool City Region, delivering long-term economic and cultural benefits.
Vinci Building regional director Gary Hughes described the project as a flagship opportunity for the contractor. He said the appointment would allow Vinci to work closely with local businesses and the Southport community, with benefits expected both during construction and long after completion as the council’s ambition to attract major events to the town takes shape.
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