A ROYAL Marine physical trainer has set himself a £1m – the transformation of an old council depot near the banks of the Mersey into an outdoor adventure centre.

Keith Perryman plans to turn the pocket of scrap land in Otterspool into a playground with rope walks, an assault course and climbing walls.

Mr Perryman, who is in the Royal Marine reserves, based in Sefton Street, near the city centre, said: “Liverpool has been crying out for something like this for such a long time.

“It’s a family park and a family area. We want to enhance that and make a decent place for families to go.”

He said that one of the main aims of the centre, which will take parties of school children as well as corporate groups and families, will be to tackle obesity and antisocial behaviour in youngsters.

His plans also includes a fort, a wooden maze with towers and a power fan, which simulates what it is like to complete a parachute jump.

A detailed layout for the 2½-acre site, which is next to Otterspool Promenade, has been lodged with Liverpool city council’s planners.

It will be next to the new playground on Otterspool Drive and near to the old Garden Festival site which is due to have 600 homes built on it, as well as Oriental gardens.

Mr Perryman is in the process of completing the paperwork for a 125-year lease on the council-owned site.

It is currently home to derelict buildings and was once used as a storage depot for council maintenance workers.

There was also a café on the site, where Mr Perryman used to work during the 1970s.

He has sold a pizza shop and convenience store to fund his dream of building the activity centre.