Liverpool City Council has approved a £1 million schedule that enables work to take place on the former International Festival Gardens and Southern Grasslands zones. This will further establish how to take the £700 million Festival Park development forward.
The masterplan designed by K2 Architects includes proposals on up to 2,500 new homes, up to 350,000 sq. ft. of commercial and leisure floor space, and a new ferry terminal. The development will also divide the site into distinct zones, including the Dingle Bank which will be the residential zone and will feature a new primary school, a medical centre and a community hub to facilitate the mixed use housing; the Jericho Wharf, which will be the social heart of the residential zone with bars, restaurants, and hotels; the Jericho Shore, a beachfront neighbourhood with residential apartments, pavement cafes, restaurants, and bars; the Festival Gardens; and the Southern Grasslands which will be remodelled into a natural habitat for wildlife and leisure activities.
The project also includes a 5km long green corridor to the city centre, a remodelled coastal path and a new cultural landmark venue. A further £232,000 have been requested to help with the repairs on the former Festival Gardens dome base, so that it will support the city’s programme of events as part of the tenth anniversary celebrations as European Capital of Culture. This work will be carried out by Willmott Dixon.
So far, site investigations have established a remediation strategy on the northern part of the development and the council are currently negotiating with Heritage Great Britain to develop a business case for an attraction. The land surveys and environmental assessments will take two months to complete and will require phased closure to certain parts of the gardens.
“Festival Park Liverpool has the potential to be a huge game changer for this city’s economy,” said Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson. “There is much work to be done but these site surveys will provide us with a roadmap to making this vision a reality over the coming decade.”
