Investment group and council in talks to create new Southport waterfront scheme
Bliss Investment Partners has confirmed it is in talks with Sefton Council, on Merseyside, about a short-term operating agreement for the historic Southport Theatre and Convention Centre (STCC).
Bliss Hotels said it would substantially boost its stake in the town if they are successful and would take over from The Ambassador Group, who have operated the STCC for Sefton Council since 1996.
Winning the chance to operate the STCC would be the final part of the Bliss team’s vision, it says, to redefine Southport as a UK leader in leisure and entertainment by intricately linking together key elements of the waterfront resort in to “one compelling visitor offer” for the first time in the town’s history.
Last year Norfolk-based Bliss acquired the 250-year head lease from Promenade Estate for the entire waterfront development, which already boasts a casino, multi-award winning hotel run by local general manager Enda Rylands, wedding venue and eateries, overlooking the Marine Lake with its views over Southport’s coastline
The existing Ramada Plaza Hotel will be transformed into a luxurious boutique Bliss Hotel, which will be the first of its type in the country, the group said.
Floor five has already been extensively refurbished with stylish new rooms and three new penthouses are planned for later this year
Daniel Broch, founder of Everyman Cinemas, which was recently listed by the FT as one of Europe’s top 1000 fastest growing companies, and co-founder of Bliss Investments, said: “This is a key moment for Southport to create an international identity and follow other great coastal and city regeneration stories such as Margate, Scarborough, Barcelona and Berlin.
“It‘s all here. We’re within an hour of Manchester and Liverpool, firmly rooted in England’s ‘Golf Coast’ and we can tap into decades of nostalgia and fond memories of family holidays to bring people back.”
Bliss said its plan would become “the beating heart of Southport”, infusing confidence and pride in the town through arts, culture and leisure, all connected in one iconic waterfront location.
