Langtree gets Garden Festival grant
NEWTON-le-Willows property developer Langtree is to get a £2.1m grant to start the restoration of the International Garden Festival site in Liverpool.
As well as the money from the Northwest Regional Development Agency, a separate £1.6m from the European Regional Development Fund is also being considered for the scheme, bringing the total package of investment being sought to £3.7m.
The formal gardens identified for restoration include: the Chinese and Japanese gardens, the lakes and watercourses; and woodland sculpture trails. When the work is complete the gardens will be reopened to the public.
The NWDA’s investment will also cover the management and maintenance of the park for five years. Langtree said it expects to be able to start development on the balance of the site within that time.
John Downes, managing director of Langtree said: “The grant we are finalising with the NWDA will allow us to not only bring forward the timescale for the restoration of the formal gardens but also accelerate delivery of the residential development.”
Steven Broomhead, chief executive of the NWDA, said: “The agency is working closely with our partners to take forward the redevelopment of this site, which has the potential to create a major visitor attraction of international significance and enhance the wider Mersey Waterfront programme to maximise the potential of Merseyside’s waterfront areas.
“We are currently in the final stages of negotiations regarding our investment into the project to enable Langtree to take forward the regeneration of the site.”
