Hello and welcome to the first Our Liverpool of the week.
Sometimes a story asks for more deliberation and deft storytelling to bring it to our audiences - maybe it has too many twists and turns to fit in typical news article form, or perhaps it's a passion project of one of our reporters.
In any case, these stories are so important to our local communities to ensure their stories are told. It's some of these longer reads I want to bring to you today, starting with a couple from Elliot Ryder, our regeneration reporter.
Giant of a derelict building 'killing' Renshaw Street
Behind the facade of the old Rapid Hardware store is a crumbling building fallen into disrepair that's haunted a busy street for years. The narrowed pavement on Renshaw Street sticks out like a sore thumb and shopowners nearby say the derelict building is "killing" the street.
A planning application has just last month been lodged to potentially redevelop the site into flats, but a lot of questions still remain.
'Bent' systems cost desperate town thousands
Sefton Council has spent over £120,000 on two bids for essential funds to regenerate vital parts of the local economy. Yet, despite the hefty pricetag both have been knocked-back by the government in what one local MP called a "broken and bent" bidding process.
Other Merseyside councils have spent similarly and had similar rejections - some of the costs involved are staggering.
'This road was beautiful once, now we've just got Asda'
Danny Rigg visited Breck Road and found business suffering and people struggling on what was once a "fabulous" road with a "fantastic" shopping area. The place has now got a reputation as a bit of a rough area, but that's not the full story for those who live there.
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