THE restoration of Liverpool’s Garden Festival site can finally start following the release of £2.1m of funding for new public attractions.
Developers Langtree and the North West Development Agency (NWDA) say they hope the funding will allow the neglected south Liverpool site to be “restored to its former glory”.
The funding windfall will see work done to improve the Chinese and Japanese gardens and pagodas, as well as to lakes, watercourses and woodland sculpture trails.
A further £1.6m is currently being sought from the region’s European development fund, bringing the total package for the restoration of what has been described as “a blot on the Liverpool landscape” to £3.7m.
City council leaders have welcomed the news that the Otterspool attraction can begin to take on a new lease of life.
Council finance executive member Cllr Flo Clucas said: “It has been a matter of real shame that these formal gardens were allowed to get into such a poor condition following the International Garden Festival, but now they will be restored and, importantly, there are plans in place to maintain them.
“In our Year of the Environment it is highly encouraging that more green space is to be opened up to the public.”
Developer Langtree has been working on ambitious plans for a 1,300-apartment residential project for the site, but its partner, David McLean Homes collapsed last year.
It insisted that it would press ahead with the plans despite the McLean collapse, and its managing director John Downes said the company remains “fully committed” to delivering the residential side “as soon as the market conditions allow.”
