Liverpool's plan for New York-style Central Park a step closer after £55m investment

Plans for Liverpool’s very own New York-inspired Central Park have taken a step forward thanks to a £55m investment boost.

Grand plans to redevelop the historic Central Docks were given the green light by Liverpool City Council last year, and the project will see hundreds of trees planted and over 2,300 homes built at the largest part of the Liverpool Waters scheme. Redevelopment of the area around the Tobacco Warehouse and Everton’s new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock include the establishment of a public Central Park and vital infrastructure.

Now, the local authority is set to receive £55m of Brownfield Infrastructure Land (BIL) grant funding from Homes England to ‘accelerate’ the regeneration project. The Central Docks site, owned by waterside regeneration specialists Peel Waters, is projected to unlock more than £500m in private investment.

While the new Central Park won’t compare with the size of it’s famous American namesake it will be one of the city’s biggest green areas at 4.7 acres and its design will celebrate the site’s industrial heritage and coastal location, blending coastal and woodland plantations, wetlands, community gardens, and open parkland. The park will also feature amenities such as shelters, recreational facilities, and wildlife habitats, to be enjoyed by both residents and visitors.

Peel Waters says the key infrastructure, within the 10.5 hectare Liverpool Waters scheme, will lay the groundwork for future investments and the development of housing and commercial ventures would also support new community, retail and leisure facilities. The plans will also provide direct access to parts of the Liverpool-Leeds canal and central docks for the first time in years. Pedestrian routes will be improved as part of the development making it easier to travel through the city centre, Princes Dock, Everton’s new stadium at Bramley Moore Dock, and the city’s northern docks, on foot or bicycle.

Discussing the funding, Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: “Britain is under new management and, in just a few days, we are already starting to see the difference. Working hand in hand with government at a national, regional and local level we can make an enormous difference and drive growth locally.

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“The development of Central Docks, alongside the ongoing work to regenerate Bramley Moore and Bootle, has the potential to be a catalyst for growth and wider regeneration for great swathes of South Sefton and North Liverpool, creating jobs and attracting investment.

“The Central Docks site was identified in the Liverpool Strategic Advisory Panel’s final report as a site for potential development. The £55m we’ve received is an enormous statement of intent – on top of the £31m we secured for the city back in March. I’d like to pay tribute to the late Sir Howard Bernstein for all the support and expertise he brought to the Panel’s work.” The BIL funding for the site is subject to final approval from HM Treasury and comes just a week after Rachel Reeves, MP, referenced the scheme in her first speech as Chancellor of the Exchequer in which she set out the new Government’s commitment to unlock stalled housing schemes.