Work is to start on a series of safe routes in a popular North Liverpool park as concerns continue about poor lighting.
The ECHO has seen an email from Cllr Jane Corbett, deputy leader of Liverpool Council, and Everton ward member, confirming that work will start “in a few weeks” to improve lighting at Everton Park. More than 100 people have added their name to a petition to try and convince Liverpool Council to put lighting in place at the green space.
Everton Park has been blighted by anti-social behaviour throughout this year, with a burned-out motorbike and graffiti left at the Netherfield Road area of the public space. The Friends of Everton Park (FoEP) group reached out to Merseyside Police and Liverpool Council in a bid to bring the vandalism to an end.
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Cllr Corbett’s correspondence has now seemed to confirm progress will be made on making the park safer for users. She wrote: “I've worked up a series of safe routes across the park with the lighting guys from highways.
“Work will start in a few weeks. Will keep you updated on work starting.”
Kevin Robinson-Hale, who launched the petition, said it was a matter of time before someone was “injured or worse” if no lighting was installed. The local authority spends £9.5m a year cleaning up litter, has invested more than £8m in its alleyways programme to create safe and cleaner neighbourhoods, and is rolling out improved litter bins in the city’s major parks.
In July, Merseyside Police said it has held “productive meetings” with partners from the local authority and City Watch to agree upgrades to the CCTV system, which already covers the park, and improvements to street lighting, to deter would-be criminals.
Sarah Rotherham, Merseyside Police Community Policing Inspector, said officers took a “zero-tolerance” approach to anti-social behaviour. A spokesperson for Liverpool Council said in February that the local authority was open to discussions around additional signage at the site.
A spokesperson for FoEP told the ECHO that the park had “endemic maintenance and vandalism issues” and “community education” was needed to change the culture around park usage.
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