29 October 2008
The £4m refurbishment of Southport’s famous Lord Street has
been completed.
The Mayor of Sefton - Cllr Paul Tweed - was joined by comedy
legend Ken Dodd in unveiling a commemorative plaque as part of a
gala celebration in front of nearly 600 onlookers and local
dignitaries.
A team from Capita Symonds designed, supervised and project
managed the redevelopment on behalf of Sefton Council’s Planning
Department.
Lord Street has long been hailed as one of Britain's finest
boulevards, running straight and wide for almost a mile and
featuring shops with Victorian glass topped canopies as well as
gardens, fountains and classical buildings.
The project, which was devised in consultation with Southport’s
residents, businesses and visitors, was designed to recapture Lord
Street’s original Victorian style and elegance and is part of a
Sefton Council masterplan to regenerate the town.
The revamp involved a major refurbishment of public spaces,
pavements and gardens along the popular boulevard (including a
brand new garden area), major repairs to the War Memorial
pavilions, and the restoration of the nearby fountains.
Sefton Council was awarded £3.6 million to carry out the final
phase of improvements to Lord Street by the Northwest Regional
Development Agency, European Objective One, the Merseyside Local
Transport Plan and other contributions.