Stanley Park
Stanley Park Regeneration
Stanley Park is benefiting from a major regeneration that will restore many features of this historic Park and also meet the needs of today's users. The work started in November 2007 and is scheduled to take about 14 months.
The major historic features of the Park were the Conservatory, the sandstone terraces and the Park lakes. All of these will be refurbished together with landscaping improvements and creation of new wildlife habitats.
A new expanded Playground was completed in early 2007 and is already a popular attraction.
The original design of the Park (1866) was by Edward Kemp, a pioneer of public park design and the restoration will follow his acclaimed plans.
Two contractors are doing the work, supervised by 2020 Liverpool. DCT Civil Engineering is restoring the terraces, rose gardens and the Isla Gladstone Conservatory and The Casey Group are working on the Park lakes and other landscaping. Project managers of the contract are 2020 Liverpool.
Modern improvements will include better disabled access and new public toilets. Security in the Park will be improved through the installation of CCTV cameras at strategic points.
Stanley Park is part of the New Anfield Project which aims to regenerate and revitalise the area. As well as the Park extensive improvements including new housing and retail areas will improve the economy and infrastructure of the area.
Funding for Stanley Park has come from the NRF (Neighbourhood Renewal Fund), NWDA (North West Development Agency), European Union Objective One and HMRI (Housing Market Renewal Initiative). The total cost of the project is around £14 million pounds, all of which has come from external funding support.
The restored Isla Gladstone conservatory is named after the local artist and textile designer, famous for floral prints in the Arts & Crafts movement at the turn of last century.
Isla Gladstone was from the Gladstone family, the best known being William Gladstone, famous Liverpudlian Liberal Prime Minister (born and brought up in Rodney St, Liverpool).
Current Work in Stanley Park
Two site compounds have been established for the contractors, each close to their main work area so as to cause less disruption to people in the Park.
News Update May 2008
The following works have been completed or are taking place across the Park in the next month:
Paths
· New edging and drainage to the paths commenced in January 2008 next to the Anfield Lodge on Anfield Road. In May the edging to the paths around the existing lakes will continue to be renewed and new drains will be installed.
· New edging and drains are also being laid to the north of the football pitches by Priory Road. Construction of a new path to the south of the new lake will commence in May.
Trees and shrubs
· The tree and shrub removal was finished at the end March. Work continues to move the felled timber and cut down the last of the tree stumps. Large numbers of trees and shrubs will be planted in the late autumn and winter months.
Bridges
· The restoration of the five bridges located next to the existing and proposed lakes commenced in February. The dismantling of the four metal bridges is nearly finished and the restoration is proceeding with the metal beams being cleaned and repainted.
Gladstone Conservatory
- The restoration of the Gladstone Conservatory continues in Telford with the aim to begin re-erecting the building back in its previous location in the summer. The Conservatory will sit above the new basement, which will house a cafe and public toilets.
· The erection of the steelwork frame for the basement began in mid-April and was completed in the first week of May. Work now begins on building the walls with new sandstone blocks being laid from mid-May.
Sandstone Pavilions
· The repairs to the sandstone pavilions commenced in April and will continue through the spring and summer.
To find out more please visit the Exhibition located in the DCT Site Offices on Anfield Road, open 9:00am to 4:00pm Monday to Friday, or telephone 0151 261 9522 for more information.
If you would like to receive your own personal news update please ring the above number and we will send this to you each month by either post or by e-mail.
As work is going on around the Park there is bound to be disruption and, for safety reasons, areas will be closed off to allow works to be carried out.
Stanley Park History
Stanley Park is arguably the most architecturally significant of the city's great Victorian parks. Landscaped by Edward Kemp, who had assisted Paxton at Chatsworth and Birkenhead, the park features a grand terrace punctuated by imposing shelters with expansive bedding schemes once highlighted by fountains. The 45 hectare park opened in 1870 and contains the Gladstone Conservatory (Grade II) by Mackenzie & Moncur (1899), who had also constructed the Palm House in Sefton Park.