New Events Centre will have a 1,200 capacity Theatre but only 142 parking spaces
Plans to develop a £73m events and conference centre in Southport, which could create hundreds of jobs and attract millions of pounds worth of private sector investment to the town, look set to get the green light.
The Marine Lakes Event Centre will comprise a 1,200-capacity theatre, alongside a conference centre suitable for 2,400 people.
The proposal also includes a water and light show within the adjacent Marine Lake.
Office and production facilities will be built in the complex as well as meeting rooms, a ticket office, café, restaurant and retail, and food and drink concessions.
Externally there will be parking for 142 cars and street pick-up and drop-off points at the Promenade.
The project is at the heart of Sefton Council's plans for Southport's regeneration and forms part of the Southport Town Deal which secured £37.5m funding in 2021.
It has also secured £2.3m funding from Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.
The development will replace the former Southport Theatre and Convention Centre, which closed its doors in 2020, and is set to be demolished as part of the proposal.
A planning statement submitted with the proposals said that 290 direct on-site and off-site operational jobs could be created as a result of the scheme, while the number of additional on-site and off-site jobs stands at 200.
The report added: "The project is of strategic importance to the town, wider borough and City Region, in terms of supporting the cultural offering, enhancing the visitor economy and creating jobs and wider economic benefits."
The application will go before Sefton Council at a planning committee on Thursday 27 April with the recommendation for approval.