Work gets underway on £1 million prom improvements
Publish Date: 7.11.2007
Booklet showcasing schoolchildren’s impressions of the prom presented to pupils
A £1million project to revitalise a 3.5km stretch of promenade in East Wirral is underway.
Funded jointly by Mersey Waterfront and Merseyside’s European Objective One Programme and delivered in conjunction with Wirral Council, the work will focus on the entrance to the prom close to the Seacombe Ferry Terminal/Spaceport with a new pedestrian-friendly public space and improvements to the embankments behind the promenade.
Other improvements will involve replacing dilapidated railings and restoring the historic Dr Poggi’s Shelter* at Vale Park, New Brighton.
To co-incide with the start of work, a booklet has been produced to display artwork and creative writing produced by pupils from four New Brighton primary schools. The aim is to showcase their ideas and impressions of the prom and promote the coastline to young people and their families.
Jo Hayes, Mersey Waterfront’s Pride in our Promenades Co-ordinator, said; ‘These improvements are all about breathing new life into this popular stretch of promenade.
‘We want to create a real family atmosphere, creating a more accessible and attractive place where people from both sides of the Mersey can come to enjoy the coastline.
‘That’s why local residents have been heavily involved in developing ideas for the project over the last 18 months through Mersey Waterfront’s People’s Panels and activities including community walks and school visits.’
The Head of European Programmes at Government Office for the North West, Richard Nutter said: ‘The promenade from Seacombe to New Brighton is one of the best loved public spaces in Merseyside. It has given generations of local people the chance to get close to the river and enjoy some of the finest views of the Liverpool skyline.
He added, ‘These improvements will benefit millions of people for decades to come, providing yet another legacy from the Objective One Programme.’
Cllr Pat Hackett, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Planning Strategy said: ‘The booklet has been designed by children who are the future of the New Brighton and Seacombe community and who will benefit most from this project.
‘This initiative will improve the link between the superb Spaceport visitor attraction and Neptune’s development at New Brighton. It will also produce a much improved environment in time for the thousands of visitors who will be viewing the return of the Tall Ships from our side of the water next July.’
The scheme is the second part of Mersey Waterfront’s £8.5million Pride in our Promenades project, with the first £1.4million phase at Otterspool in South Liverpool completed earlier this year.
The prom improvements between Seacombe and New Brighton will be completed in Summer 2008.
