Plans for ‘Central Park’ within Liverpool Waters have taken a step forward with new images showing how the greenspace could one day look.
In April, Peel L&P, which has outline planning permission for the Liverpool Waters site, shared plans for the near five acre park which would be situated south of Collingwood Dock near to the Tobacco Warehouse and Titanic Hotel, with Everton’s new stadium at Bramley Moore situated just north of the proposed site.
If approved the new park would be one of the city’s centres largest greenspaces with hopes of bringing direct access to parts of the Leeds Liverpool Canal for the first time in a number of years. The proposal would also open up the central dockland area to the public - somewhere that has remained largely derelict since the city’s historic docks closed.
READ MORE: The four year battle over a dock which saw campaigners and council beaten
Following the announcement of the plans in early spring, a public consultation was carried out with residents in the local area to help shape the vision for the park. According to Peel L&P, the plans were “overwhelmingly praised” by the local community. Of those who took part in the consultation, 96% said the park should provide a home for nature with 60% suggesting the park should support those with an active lifestyle.
There was also support for recognition of Liverpool and the dock’s history and heritage. This would involve a range of signs and historical information dotted around the park.
140 people responded to the online consultation with 157 attending in person events. Peel said that leaflets regarding the plans were delivered to 2,448 homes in the local area.
Further engagement events will be carried out over the next six months. No timeframe for submitting planning permission has been laid out.
As well as the findings of the consultation, new visualisations for the park have also been shared. The images show the proposed greenspace with a range of the other developments proposed for the site.
The plans however came in for criticism from save Rimrose Valley campaigners who are fighting to save the South Sefton green space from being impacted by a new access road to the Port of Liverpool - owned by Peel Ports. Campaigners noted the “irony” of its sister company, Peel L&P, championing parks in another part of the region, but a spokesperson for Peel Ports said the Rimrose Valley plans “is not and never has been a Peel Ports project.”
In April, Peel L&P’s Development Director for Liverpool Waters, Chris Capes, told the ECHO 'Central Park' would form the "green lungs" of Liverpool Waters. Mr Capes also pushed back on criticism that the speed of development on the site has not been quick enough since outline planning permission was granted in 2012.
Speaking about the recent consultation, Mr Capes added: “We are delighted with the overwhelming support we have received for Central Park from the local community and from stakeholders and we are extremely grateful to everyone who has taken the time to engage with our consultation.
“The plans that we will submit to Liverpool City Council have been altered to respond directly to the feedback that was received through this engagement exercise, and we are confident that the current plans reflect the best version of Central Park that Peel L&P and Liverpool can be proud of.
“We want Central Park to become a destination for everyone and a place where people can visit and relax with their family and friends. We know the docks are very special to everyone in the city and green space has never been so important, both for our physical and mental health and wellbeing but also as a way of absorbing air pollution. Being able to create a new large public park at the heart of the city in an urban environment is really exciting.”
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