‘Does town get back its theatre?’ Pugh calls for clarity
SEFTON Council has denied that regular theatre performances could be lost at a new events centre proposed to replace Southport Theatre and Convention Centre.
The building of a modern, stateof-the-art facility, given the working title Marine Lake Events Centre, is central to Southport Town Deal Board’s bid for £50m in regeneration funding from the Government.
That bid included a range of projects such as investment at Pleasureland, improvements to Lord Street and the creation of a Marine Lake lights show.
Replacing the historic Promenade venue, which currently has no operator and is in need of significant repair work, is considered a key way to attract visitors and events to the town in future years.
However, the changed name and shifted focus to events such as e-Sports raised fears about whether a traditional theatre was still seen as an important part of the new venue.
Cllr John Pugh was among those to share fears that those behind the bid were refusing to state how central theatre would be in their proposals.
Pointing to the 6,000 members of a Facebook group campaigning to reopen the theatre, Cllr Pugh said there is clear local demand to preserve the main role of a venue which has hosted the likes of the Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Who and Van Morrison during its storied history.
“My understanding,” he said, “is that civil servants discussing the bid with Sefton baulked a little when the word “theatre” was used.
“Building ‘theatres’ is not seen in
Westminster to be a good way of investing government funds.”
He added: “Bliss, who own the adjacent hotel and will play a big part in the new developments, handed the theatre back to Sefton last May. Making the Southport Theatre work without subsidy has not proved easy. I will be surprised if the bid for government cash talks much about theatre restoration.”
With the council already operating another theatre at The Atkinson, Cllr Pugh warned the council must be clear and honest with the town’s residents.
“A convention centre, even a big auditorium or events space is not the same as the old type of theatre (which) Chuck Berry and Ken Dodd filled, or that featured countless pantomimes. Oh no it’s not! “And if we are not going to get that back, I, like every other Southport resident, would like to know now.”
In response, Cllr Marion Atkinson, Southport Town Deal board member and Sefton Council’s Labour cabinet member for regeneration and skills, said that no final decision has been made on the future of the venue.
But she said the proposals included in the Town Deal bid were specifically designed to create a flexible space which could host both traditional and newer types of events in order to attract a wide range of audiences.
Cllr Atkinson said: “This will include theatre facilities, but thanks to its flexibility, the proposed space will maximise the number of event days each year and in turn secure the long-term financial sustainability of the venue.
“The aim of the Town Deal and Sefton Council is to add much, much more to our fantastic offer, not take anything away.
“This project is the centrepiece of the £50m Southport Town Deal bid, which was submitted to government in October 2020.”
Expressing disappointment with the comments from Cllr Pugh, she added: “As Cllr Pugh is well aware, the Southport Town Deal Board and Sefton Council await a formal decision regarding the level of allocated funding that may be received.
“I urge Cllr Pugh to think of the people and the area he represents and to get behind this fantastic opportunity.
“We all await this decision with baited breath. The support for Southport’s Town Deal and its projects, together with the level of funding potentially allocated, will clearly influence the pace and progress of delivery, and it would be premature to comment further at this stage.”