Sefton Council are selling off a grand piano to help fund a £70m marina events centre due to be built in Southport.
The grand piano, a Steinway, was recently found in the former Southport Theatre, which is set to be demolished to make way for a new events centre.
According to a report produced for Sefton Council’s audit and governance committee, which was held this week, it is in some state of disrepair.
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However, the piano does “hold some value” according to the report. It is is due to be sold at auction by Piano Auctions Ltd, who will be taking a commission of around 15% on the sale.
The report states that the piano auction is a follow up to a previous sell off by the council of items from the former Southport Theatre which generated over £67k that has been “recycled” back into the project.
Items sold at that auction included “redundant kitchen equipment and fridges” according to the report.
The report notes: “Before the demolition of the existing facility, it would be good practice to dispose of the fixtures and fittings within the building such as catering equipment, redundant lights etc, rather than retain as part of the demolition process.
“This will also be critical for the planning application as part of the narrative on sustainability.”
The report states that while most of the items were sold from the first auction, held in May, some items had not attracted interest.
These items included bars, fridges and other equipment. Officers are looking for ways for the items to be “disposed or recycled” before the theatre demolition begins.
The report adds: “No historical elements will be disposed of it is anticipated that where possible these will be incorporated into the new events centre such as lighting, dance floor and projectors.”
The former Southport Theatre, on the town’s promenade, is currently being dismantled as part of the council’s plans to build a new £70m marina events centre.
In order to cover the scheme’s costs which are being part funded by over £30m of Town Deal money and around £20m of Liverpool City Region funding, Sefton Council will need to plug a nearly £20m shortfall to move the project forward.
The council is looking at plans to borrow the £20m from the public loan works board for the project, which could then be paid back at a rate of nearly £1m a year for the next 40 years.
The historic Southport theatre, which had been operating for nearly 50 years before its closure, shut its doors in June 2021 after the operator, Bliss Space, went into liquidation.
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