£6 Million regeneration scheme for Mount Pleasant Knowledge Quarter
The Mount Pleasant corridor of Liverpool City Centre is to be transformed with a £6m scheme due to start on site in March 2010.
The project will deliver improvements along Mount Pleasant, Upper Mount Pleasant, Rodney Street, Clarence Street, Oxford Street and create a new public space in front of the Metropolitan Cathedral.
There will be major improvements to the junction of Mount Pleasant and Hope Street, creating a public area in front of the Metropolitan Cathedral and reducing the amount of traffic which can use Upper Mount Pleasant which will now be for buses, taxis and access to the car parks only.
These changes aim to improve road safety and reduce the amount of traffic around some of the city’s brightest architectural gems, from the Metropolitan Cathedral and across to historic Hope Street.
An exhibition and consultation event will be held in the Piazza Café, at the foot of the Metropolitan Cathedral steps, Mount Pleasant, on Wednesday, 3 February 2010 between 10am and 5pm.
The scheme has been funded by the Northwest Development Agency, the European Regional Development Fund with contributions from both the University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University.
Councillor Peter Millea, Liverpool City Council’s Executive Member for Assets and Development, said: “We have carried out extensive consultation on this scheme and we are very pleased to be moving ahead on target towards a start on site in March 2010. We have already carried out major regeneration works in this area and this will be the final piece of the jigsaw, creating a safe and pleasant area for residents, businesses, students and visitors to enjoy.”
The project is the third phase of the Knowledge Quarter Public Realm Programme, an ambitious programme of public realm improvements being delivered by Liverpool City Council and Liverpool Vision, together with key stakeholders including the University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University.
Liverpool Vision’s Senior Development Manager, Matt Biagetti, said: “This project will strengthen links between the Knowledge Quarter and the rest of the City Centre, making both areas far more accessible, particularly for pedestrians and public transport.
“In addition, the improvements will create a superb environment in which to attract further investment to the city, complementing the other major developments in the Knowledge Quarter.”
There has been ongoing consultation with the Archdiocese and Canon Anthony O’Brien, Dean of the Metropolitan Cathedral, welcomed the project, saying: “We have been in talks with the City Council for some time to establish the best way to improve the entrance to our magnificent Cathedral and to link it more closely with Hope Street.
“By reducing the traffic using this junction and opening up a bigger public space in front of the Cathedral Steps, the area becomes safer and easier to access for worshippers and visitors alike.”
Work has already been completed in the area with previous phases including the regeneration of the University Square, improvements to Brownlow Hill and the Wilderness Area, (area between IC2 and the Design Academy), and the award-winning improvements to Hope Street. This new package of works will help to link all of these schemes together.
The improvements on Mount Pleasant and Rodney Street will use York Stone, similar to that used on Hope Street, reusing old York Stone where possible, the work on Oxford Street will use the same sandstone as the improvements to Abercromby Square and the new paving on Clarence Street, Pomona Street, and Mount Pleasant from Rodney Street to the city centre will use the same granite that has been utilised on Brownlow Hill and on city centre schemes.
Emlyn Williams, spokesperson for the Rodney Street Association, said: “The Rodney Street Association is delighted to support the commitment of the City Council and the North West Development Agency in this timely pattern of urban renewal.
“Regeneration in Mount Pleasant and Rodney Street follows on from that in Hope Street and serves to enhance the legacy of our forebears, to enable citizens and visitors to better enjoy Liverpool’s heritage and to have them involved in interpreting it for future generations.”
A dedicated cycle route will be installed on Oxford Street and following consultation with Liverpool John Moores University, improvements will be made to the paved areas on Maryland Street, outside the Students Union building and the library.
The City Council’s Executive Board has approved the scheme and a start on site is expected in March 2010.
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