The future of Liverpool’s International Festival Gardens site is to take a major step forward this week.
The public are being invited to give their views on a draft masterplan that aims to create a ‘cultural garden suburb’ that would also transform the site into a major visitor and cultural destination.
A four week public consultation will be launched on Wednesday, 30 November by Liverpool City Council, who took control of the site last year, with the feedback to be used as a guide to a future outline planning application in 2017.
The development of the 90 acre site will be focused on the northern and central parts with a re-modelled waterfront.
Surveys are being undertaken to assess ground conditions with the intention to revitalise the gardens, which are open to the public, and southern grasslands as public amenity space with opportunities for sport and recreation.
The draft masterplan also sets out to enhance connections with the surrounding community, including a safer pedestrian route to Priory Wood and St Michaels train station.
There is a current outline planning consent for a 1,380 unit residential development on part of the site, valid until December 2022.
Councillor Malcolm Kennedy, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, said: ”This masterplan is a comprehensive approach to regenerating the wider Festival Gardens site with greater benefits for the local community. This will be a long-term process to carefully develop what is a hugely important site to the city and its residents.”
Two public consultation events will be held on:
• Wednesday, 30 November, 10-6, at Sefton Park Library, Aigburth Rd, L17 4JS
• Wednesday, 7 December, 10-6, at Liverpool Town Hall
For more information the public can go online to www.liverpool.gov.uk/festivalgardens (online portal goes live on Wednesday, 30 November)
Comments can be emailed to: mailto:nik.puttnam@liverpool.gov.uk or mailed to:
Nik Puttnam
Cunard Building
Brunswick Street
Liverpool
L1 3JS
Deadline for feedback is Friday, 23 December.
