Mersey Waterfront Regional Park
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The Park spans more than 70 miles (120km) of the City Region's coastline. It takes in the River Mersey, its estuary, and parts of the rivers Dee and Ribble. It is a major internationally acclaimed attraction with a unique sense of place for people to live, work, invest and visit.
The River Mersey is the City Region's greatest natural asset, and is home to one of the most famous waterfronts in the world. By bringing together the coastal areas of Halton, Liverpool, Sefton and Wirral (and by using the inland support of Knowsley and St Helens), Mersey Waterfront will improve the unique features of the area. It will become a place that people recognise. The aim is to create a waterfront for everyone.
The Northwest Development Agency (NWDA) has given a £8.7million grant towards the scheme. Mersey Waterfront could add great value to tourism. It can secure new economic momentum. It could also directly create an estimated 200 new jobs.
The project is in its third year of a five year 'Commencement Period'. If it is a success, this first phase could lead onto a longer term programme of potentially 15 years.
The Waterfront Regional Park idea covers major projects around the Estuary. These include the Ports and Airport; the city centre waterfront; and Wirral Waterfront; as well as tourism hotspots like Southport, New Brighton and West Kirby. It also includes the open coastal areas of the Mersey Way at Speke, the Sefton Coast and the Wirral Coast.
There are four main parts to the Commencement Plan:-
- Major developments will include, Southport and New Brighton resorts; Kings Dock and its major conference centre; Stanley Dock; a new or refurbished building in Birkenhead; Twelve Quays and RoRos also at Birkenhead; Crosby Marina; the Liverpool Cruise Liner Terminal now underway; and the canal extension from Stanley Dock to Albert Dock.
- Estuary development and management looking at water quality; beaches; formal and informal recreation sites and their access; formal and informal urban parks; sensitive coastal sites of high environmental importance and nature conservation value; country parks and coastal trails and cycleways.
- Development of tourism, sport and leisure will include golfing; watersport development; additional moorings at Liverpool Marina and at Albert Dock; river events; promotion of visitor packages; hotel development; restaurants; markets; and Maritime Museum and Industrial heritage - many of which are centred in Liverpool itself.
- Mersey Maritime will target the involvement of all private sector port; marine engineering and maritime industries; plus public sector partners.
Activities will include a PGA golf tournament; sailing events and other watersports at a variety of locations including the Mersey River Festival; and other schemes such as the River of Light project.
Otterspool Promenade
Within Liverpool, a major facelift of Otterspool Promenade began in underway. Dhruva Mistry's Sitting Bull, originally installed at Liverpool's Garden Festival site over twenty years ago, has now been brought out of storage and been hoisted into it's new home on a grassy area close to the promenade.
£1.4 million worth of renovation work on the promenade began in September 2006, with a package of improvements including new railings and better seating, bins and signposting. Completion of this element will be in spring 2007.
The work is being funded through the Mersey Waterfront Programme, which is supported by the North West Development Agency.
Further information:
To find out more, visit the Mersey Waterfront Regional Park website