One of Liverpool’s most thriving cultural neighbourhoods is in store for a revamp after a vital cash injection was greenlit to restart an upgrade of the area.
For almost three years, work has been paused on the Ropewalks area of the city, to the south of the city centre, after funding to complete a second stage improvement wasn’t available to Liverpool Council. Now however, after contending with traffic issues, congestion and poor pavements, millions of pounds are to be used to strengthen and uplift the existing infrastructure.
The Ropewalks area is characterised by its long straight streets packed with vibrant food, drink and live music venues with locations along Bold Street and Seel Street, alongside landmarks such as the Bombed Out Church and the Bluecoat. A contract was awarded for a phased revamp of the district by Liverpool Council in 2020.
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Many of the streets within this area suffer traffic issues, particularly related to safety, congestion and failure of the existing pavements and footways. The first section of the revamp, in Wood Street and Slater Street, were completed in 2021 and 2022. However, as Liverpool Council did not have the required funding available for the next stage, progress was halted.
Now, more than £5.1m is to be spent through grant funding from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority for the next phase to get underway after being signed off by the local authority’s cabinet this morning. Delays in obtaining funding have resulted in the expiry of original bid prices by contractor Graham Construction, submitted in 2020.
As a result, costs are said to have increased by 20% with Graham Construction informing Liverpool Council it could not keep to its original price. According to a cabinet report, there have been “significant increases in the cost of materials, in particular granite, due to inflation and supply chain pressures.”
A revised bid for the next phase of the works - comprising Fleet Street, Colquitt Street, Back Colquitt Street and Ropewalks Square - have now been submitted totalling £4.8m. The scope of the works include strengthening and replacement of the existing carriageway and footway construction, replacement of the existing natural stone setts and slabs with the aim of reducing trip hazards, and upgrading the existing street lighting and street furniture including bins, bollards and benches.
The revised bid has been benchmarked against rates used by the city council’s highways investment programme contractors to ensure that the prices are competitive and represent best value. A contingency fund of more than £1m is also available to be used in certain circumstances.
In November last year, more than 1,000 residential and business properties that could potentially be impacted by the next phase of the Ropewalks project, received a letter notifying them of a planned start to the works in early 2023. Approving the cash injection, Cllr Sarah Doyle, cabinet member for strategic development and housing said the project would look to achieve “best outcomes for residents.”
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