Liverpool City Council approves £3.4m cash injection to breathe new life into London Road in the heart of the Fabric District. Tony McDonough reports
A £3.4m project will fund an upgrade of Liverpool city centre’s Fabric District.
Using Section 106 funds (money from developers for local improvements to the public realm, Liverpool City Council to improve the London Road corridor linking the Knowledge Quarter and Lime Street.
And that could be doubled by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (CA) pending approval of the scheme by the Council’s Cabinet on Tuesday (July 15).
The Fabric District, a neighbourhood to the east of Liverpool city centre, is a hub for independent businesses, new homes and cultural spaces. The former TJ Hughes store is now a residential development.
It suffered decline for many years but in recent times the area, which centres around London Road and extends to the University of Liverpool campus and Kensington, has started to undergo a process of regeneration.
A report to the Cabinet is seeking to confirm plans for a redesigned Monument Place, introducing dedicated bus-priority lanes and upgraded traffic signals on London Road – boosting service reliability on routes.
Monument Place will also be transformed into a high-quality district square with new paving, landscaping, rain gardens, seating and an event space – strengthening the Fabric District’s identity.
High-quality walking and cycling connections into Liverpool’s wider active-travel network will also be included. The funding and cabinet report comes as a public consultation on the scheme has been completed.
Following the consultation, detailed designs will now be developed in collaboration with stakeholders. The Cabinet is set to approve a Section 8 Highways Act 1980 agreement granting the CA the powers to carry out highway improvements from Lime Street to Low Hill.
Concept designs, developed jointly by Mott MacDonald and LDA Design, are now at RIBA Stage 2. They were produced in collaboration with the Fabric District CIC through a series of stakeholder working group sessions.
The design team has also incorporated and built upon previous engagement undertaken by the Fabric District CIC.
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Cllr Dan Barrington, Cabinet Member for Transport and Connectivity, said: “Monument Place and the Metro upgrades mark a major turning point for one of Liverpool’s most vital city-centre corridors.
“This project will deliver quicker, cleaner bus services alongside a beautifully reimagined public space that works for everyone – residents, visitors and businesses alike.”