Council set to seek developer for Festival Gardens site

LIVERPOOL City Council is set to approve a procurement exercise to attract a developer for 1 of the major development sites in the North of England.

A report to the Council's cabinet next Friday, 23 September 2022, is recommending a procurement process be undertaken to appoint a development partner for a 22 acre prime waterfront plot next to the City's Festival Gardens.

If approved the Council anticipates it will launch the search in early 2023.

The Authority had previously entered into an exclusivity agreement with Ion, a reputable development company with significant experience and expertise, which had produced a draft residential masterplan for the site. However, this agreement expired in March last year.

The recommendation to procure a development partner is the result of an almost year long review of the site. This is to ensure it aligns with the Council's recently adopted Local Plan, Council Plan and the Mayoral triple lock policy, which stipulated a new approach to development focusing on sustainability, inclusively and social value.

As part of the procurement process, which would be funded by the Council's existing capital programme, Ion will also be invited to submit a bid to deliver a major housing scheme on the Development Zone of the site

Following the new appointment of a developer, a major housing scheme for potentially 1,500 homes is predicted to begin in 2025 subject to relevant planning approvals.

Work to dramatically transform the former landfill site, which once formed part of the International Garden Festival celebrations launched by Queen Elizabeth II in 1984, is nearing completion after a 2 year long excavation programme.

The principal contractor, VINCI Building, started excavating the derelict land in early 2021 to prepare the site for potential development.

It had been estimated that the £45m remediation of the Development Zone, which has lain dormant for 25 years, would see more than 380,000 cubic metres of soil and waste processed and treated to a depth of 6 metres, with 95% of material to be recycled.

However, with almost 80% of the excavation now complete it has transpired that the remediation works need to go deeper resulting in more material to be processed.

A second cabinet report has outlined this alteration to the programme, the costs of which are yet to be determined.

On approval, officers will be given authority to negotiate with VINCI Building, with the final sum being publicised on completion of ground excavation in the Autumn.

This mammoth excavation, which will eventually result in a net gain of 1,000 trees, also includes an additional £8.5m programme of ground infrastructure works to lay drainage and power supply. The package of works will be jointly funded by:- Liverpool City Council, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Homes England.

A key part of these infrastructure works is the installation of a Sub Station, the preparation for which is to begin imminently.

The Liverpool Festival Gardens site, which lies just 3 miles to the south of the City Centre, is split into 3 distinct zones:

► Development Zone - 28 acres incorporating the former;- 'Pleasure Island' dome, plaza and waterfront bund.

► The Gardens - 25 acres of Oriental Gardens set around a sizeable landscaped mound with large surface car park remaining from Festival Gardens.

► Southern Grasslands - 37 acres of former Festival Gardens land that has self seeded.

Cllr Sarah Doyle, Liverpool City Council's Cabinet member for Development and Economy, said:- "The site next to Festival Gardens is on prime waterfront land and presents 1 of the most exciting development opportunities in the UK. The City Council is now at a critical stage in establishing how this site will progress and given its strategic importance to our housing programme it is only right and proper that a major review of our approach was undertaken to ensure it aligns with all the new policies we've adopted since our new Mayor was elected. Now that that review is complete a clear programme has been set out to shape its future direction. If approved, this procurement process will mean adding a year to the original timescales but given the site lay dormant for a quarter of a century our focus is on getting this right, as this scheme will be a home for a whole community for the rest of this century. The transformation of this site has been a mammoth undertaking and we have worked very closely with contractors to ensure the surrounding communities have been kept up to date every step of the way. It's not a surprise given the sheer scale of the site that the excavation has surpassed what was originally estimated and costed. But whatever the additional costs will be, they will be dwarfed by the long term economic impact for the City and the millions in revenue that will be generated by the Council tax income which we can invest in our front line services."
 

PCC to put your questions to Merseyside Police's Chief Constable

MERSEYSDIDE'S Police Commissioner Emily Spurrell will put the public's questions to the Chief Constable and her senior team at their quarterly Scrutiny Meeting, Wednesday, 21 September 2022.

This key meeting was originally scheduled to take place on Monday, 19th September, but has been rearranged in light of the period of national mourning and The Queen's funeral.

Due to the postponement, it will not be possible to live stream the meeting on this occasion, but members of the public are invited to attend in person and a record of the meeting will be made available on the Commissioner's website after the event.

The quarterly Scrutiny Meetings are a crucial way the Commissioner holds the Chief Constable to account for delivering on her policing and community safety priorities and maintaining an efficient and effective Police service in Merseyside.

To further increase the openness and transparency around policing in our Region, Emily also invites the public to submit their questions on policing and community safety in our Region, which she in turn puts to the Chief Constable and her team during these sessions.

The focus for this meeting will be Merseyside Police's 'people' or workforce, and will cover issues such as recruitment, welfare and sickness levels, the diversity of Merseyside Police, and how officers are allocated across the Region. This will include looking at how the new officers recruited as part of the national uplift programme are being deployed.

Anyone wishing to attend the meeting, which will be held:- 2.30 to 4.30pm, on Wednesday, 21 September 2022, at the PCC's office in Mather Avenue Training Centre, Mather Avenue, Liverpool, L18 9TG, must register their attendance in advance by emailing:- Info@MerseysidePCC.Info or calling:- 01517775155.

A record of the meeting will also be published on the PCC's website following the session.

Merseyside's Police Commissioner Emily Spurrell said:- "1 of my most important jobs is to hold the Chief Constable to account on Merseyside Police's progress. It's vitally important the public trust the Police and can see that money and resources are being used wisely to deliver the best possible service to keep our communities safe. The Chief Constable and I are both committed to involving local people in this process. Unfortunately, due to the sad passing of Her Majesty The Queen, this meeting has had to be rearranged and, on this occasion, we are unable to live-stream the meeting. I do invite people to attend the meeting in person though and, for those unable to do so, a full record of the meeting will be available to watch afterwards. I had a really positive response to my call for questions ahead of this meeting and I will put many of these to the Chief Constable and her team for a response. I hope by providing this opportunity for local people to engage with the Police they gain a valuable insight into how Merseyside Police operates and their work to build a stronger, safer Merseyside."

As well as public questions, the 2 hour session will cover issues such as recruitment, welfare and sickness levels, the diversity of Merseyside Police, and how officers are allocated across the Region. This will include looking at how the new officers recruited as part of the national uplift programme are being deployed.

The meeting will provide Chief Officers with the opportunity to give the Commissioner a detailed account of the force's progress on how they are addressing these issues and make our communities safer.