Essential drainage diversion works on Southport’s north-bound Promenade are progressing well and will be finishing on Friday 29th March.

Week early

The work, which is part of preparations for the new Marine Lake Events Centre (MLEC), will be completed a week ahead of schedule and means the Promenade will be re-opened for the Easter Bank Holiday weekend.

Phase two of the work, which will see the south-bound Promenade closed for five weeks, will start on Tuesday 2nd April, ending on Friday 3rd May 2024.

Letter sent

Letters have been sent to people living on the closed stretch, explaining that they will not be able to access their property from The Promenade.

Alternative parking has been organised for those residents affected by the closure, in the Promenade pay & display car park. To ensure their vehicles are allocated a free parking space, those residents have been asked to provide details to the Council by Monday 25^th March.

They need to supply their name, address, contact number and car registration to tourism@sefton.gov.uk.

Dowhigh Ltd. are carrying out the work to divert critical drainage infrastructure away from the MLEC site. This will allow for the demolition of the former Southport Theatre and Convention Centre which will start later this year.

if anyone has any queries about the Promenade Highways works, they can contact Comms@dowhigh.co.uk or call 0330 056 6075.

Ahead of schedule

Cllr Christine Howard, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Skills, said:  “I am pleased that these essential drainage diversion works work on  the north-bound Promenade have been finished ahead of schedule meaning the promenade will be fully open for the busy Easter Bank Holiday weekend.

“I know the second phase involving the closure of the south-bound Promenade will cause some inconvenience to residents, for which I apologise but hopefully the  alternative arrangements we have out in place for them will keep the disruption they experience to a minimum.”

Brian Morrey, Director at Dowhigh added: “We’re pleased to confirm that we’ll be completing the works North bound on the promenade at the new MLEC site a week earlier than planned and in preparation for the Easter weekend, which is great news for visitors to the town for the long weekend. After taking over the drainage project from the previous contractor at short notice, we’ve been working hard to get the initial stage completed so to cause as little disruption as possible over this busy time for the town.

"Stage two will begin after the Easter weekend and we’ll be working with the same attitude and determination to try to be ahead of the original timescales to minimise further delays.”

You can find out more about the new, £73 million multi-purpose Marine Lake Events Centre, here.