Member Article

Fifteen-year economic development plan for South Liverpool

A new plan to drive forward the economic regeneration of Garston Village in South Liverpool over the next 15 years, is set to be unveiled.

The city council’s cabinet is to consider the Garston Village Masterplan.

Developed in partnership with the local community, the plan aims to identify and guide development opportunities in the areas of Garston Village, Garston Docks and Garston Under the Bridge.

It sets the framework for improving residential, industrial and green space, and identifying projects which will reverse the decline of Garston’s high street, St Mary’s Road.

As well as the longer-term vision for Garston Village, the masterplan sets out a number of key aims over the next three years for the area – which sits within the Speke Garston Mayoral Development Zone – including:

• The delivery of up to 100 new homes • 10 refurbished retail units • 3km of new cycle paths • 1.2km of highway improvements

Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Councillor Malcolm Kennedy, said: “This is a really important plan for our city. As one of the major gateways into our city, Garston is a key, strategic priority for us, yet it still suffers from acute levels of deprivation.

“We want to change that, and this masterplan provides the vision for driving forward the economic growth of the area.

“It will guide us in our work to make Garston an attractive area of business creation and growth, it will help us strengthen the community, improve the environment, promote good health and create employment opportunities. And it will help us unlock investment to improve the quality, range and choice of housing.

“This is a long-term vision for Granby and its success will come from a firm commitment from the public, private and voluntary sectors to work together with local people to build a better future for the area.”

The masterplan covers five key, strategic themes:

• A good place to live. Proposals include the allocation of two sites for new housing, a major scheme to refurbish older housing stock and a new housing development on surplus land at Garson Docks.

• A good place to do business. This will focus on the protection of the remaining industry in the area, including investment in the port and the industrial estates on Blackburne Street.

• A green, well connected neighbourhood. This will be achieved through the creation of two major new areas of open space at Dingle Bank and on Banks Road, as well as a new cycle route connecting Liverpool South Parkway with the Blackburne Street employment areas and Speke Garston Coastal Reserve.

• A thriving high street, reviving St Mary’s Road and Speke Road by improving their image, attracting new business, redeveloping key sites and filling vacant shops.

• A distinctive image and strong identity, through a programme of new branding and signage.

The masterplan envisages that investment in projects will come from the private sector, or through partnerships between the city council and other organisations active in the area, such as South Liverpool Housing. In addition, all funding generated through development or the sale of council-owned land in the area will be directed towards the on-going regeneration of the area.

The city council will also look to unlock other funding sources, such as from the National Empty Homes Fund, Growing Places Fund, Big Lottery Fund, Regional Growth Fund and European Regional Development Fund.

Garston was identified as a priority within The South Liverpool International Gateway Strategic Regeneration Framework (SRF), launched in 2011 to bring forward regeneration in the south of the city.

The Garston Village Masterplan has been developed by consultancy specialists URBED (Urbanism, Environment and Design), who were commissioned by the City Council in 2013 to deliver a new vision for the area, working with local stakeholders.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .