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First look at
new Archbishop Blanch High School
THE first image has been
released of the new £16 million Archbishop Blanch High School in
Liverpool; set to be the centrepiece of the ongoing regeneration of
Wavertree.
Consultation is underway on plans to move the school from its
cramped buildings on Mount Vernon Road near the City centre to a new
purpose built site on Earle Road, off Smithdown Road in Picton.
The site has been earmarked because it is in close proximity to the
existing school and has good transport links. It will educate 900
girls aged 11 to 16 and have a mixed 6th form.
Archbishop Blanch is one of at least 12 schools being rebuilt under
the Mayor's Investment Plan for Schools; devised as a rescue
package following the scrapping of Wave 6 of Liverpool's Building
Schools for the Future (BSF) project.
Mayor Joe Anderson said:- "The new Archbishop Blanch High
School is a really exciting scheme which will be a catalyst for
strengthening the local community and supporting local businesses.
It will make a huge difference to Picton and underpin the
improvements that are being made. The pupils and staff
desperately need a new building to replace their existing
facilities, which are in need of major investment and updating.
This is part of my vision to make sure all pupils are taught in top
quality buildings and get the best education."
The area is going through significant transition to bring forward
high quality housing which will complement the new school.
Plans are in the pipeline for investment in new houses to the north
of the site by developers Bellway, while new and/or refurbished
properties will also be delivered through one of the Council's
housing partners to the east of the site at Tunstall Road and
Garrick Street.
Neighbouring Lodge Lane continues to benefit from commercial and
residential investment interest and the area is also home to the
modern Picton Medical and Children's Centre on Earle Road.
The new complex will include on-site sports fields so the school
can, for the 1st time, have its own pitches to deliver outdoor
activities for pupils.
Headteacher Jane Griffiths said:- "We are delighted at the
pace with which this exciting scheme is coming together. The vision
for the area where the school will be relocated is fantastic, and
will allow us to build on the quality education for our students. We
are all greatly excited by having the chance to plan a new building
from the ground up, enabling us to create a brilliant, modern
learning environment for our students."
Subject to planning consent, construction work is expected to start
in late 2014, with the school being completed in 2016. A
previous plan to move to a site on Jericho Lane in Otterspool was
withdrawn following concerns over traffic.
The City Council is committed to making sure that as much of the
contract spend as possible goes to local firms to boost employment
and training opportunities for local people. Hundreds of
apprenticeships are also being created.
Southport Comedy Festival 2013 -
Are you ready? THE
Southport Comedy Festival is running from 17 October to 26
October 2013. This year's Southport Comedy Festival has a truly
international flavour with over 40 comedians from all over the globe
(Malawi, Ireland, Canada, Scotland, Iran, Germany) descending on our
lovely seaside town for 10 days of hilarity. "We are using
some great venues this year including The Atkinson, Southport Pier,
Ramada Plaza Hotel, Bold Hotel and the brand new Genting Club There
are so many different styles of comedy on offer from totally adult
alternative to squeaky clean for senior citizens plus the return of
the children's comedy festival, so please turn off your TV's and
come and have a laugh." said Southport Tourism Department.
For more information visit:-
southportcomedyfestival.com. |
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INTERNATIONAL
TOURISTS HAIL 'BEAUTIFUL' LIVERPOOL
LIVERPOOL is continuing to
cement itself as a visitor destination with 98% of the City's cruise
visitors saying they would recommend the City to their friends.
The survey was commissioned by Peel Group; which owns the land
where the cruise terminal is situated; in order to better
understand visitors' impressions of the City. Some 97% of
international tourists surveyed said they would make a return trip
to Liverpool should they visit the UK again. A 3rd of those
said they expected the City to resemble a post-industrial port and
were surprised by how modern, dynamic and attractive the City
actually was.
Many tourists described the City as 'beautiful' and
'stunning'
and 'attractive'. The mixture of older historic buildings,
such as the Three Graces and the Town Hall, and newer contemporary
structures such as Mann Island and the Liverpool Museum, left a
positive impression on those visiting the City.
The most visited attractions by those surveyed were the Anglican and
Metropolitan Cathedrals, Cavern Club, Beatles Museum and Maritime
Museum, which is currently running an exhibition to mark the
centenary of the sinking of the Titanic. The City's retail
district, especially shopping destination Liverpool One, also proved
popular.
The people of Liverpool were described as 'friendly',
'gracious'
and 'hospitable' with many tourists having received
assistance from members of the public with finding places in the
City – although the Scouse accent was described as difficult to
understand at times.
Sara Wilde-McKeown, chairman of Liverpool City Region's Visitor
Economy Board, said:- "As a snapshot of visitor perceptions,
this is hugely encouraging for the City. It confirms that our most
valuable assets are not just our amazing heritage and our cultural
offer, but also the warmth and openness of ordinary people living
and working here."
The survey; conducted amongst passengers returning to the Celebrity
Infinity and Crystal Serenity cruise ships this year; comes ahead
of a critical year for the City's tourism business visitor
ambitions.
Next year, Liverpool plays host to the International Festival for
Business 2014, when some 250,000 delegates are expected to attend
more than 100 events in the City region during June and July.
Ms Wilde-McKeown said:- "Our reputation is one which we must
build upon and cement over the next few years and the findings of
surveys like this stand us in good stead as we seek to attract
hundreds of thousands of extra visitors next year during the
International Festival for Business."
Liverpool City Council's Cabinet Member for culture and tourism,
Councillor Wendy Simon, said:- "We're delighted with the
results of this survey and it goes to show that tourists receive an
outstanding level if hospitality that they don't find in other UK
cities.
We know that Liverpool is a key destination for international
tourists and have seen the number of cruise ships visiting Liverpool
rise ten-fold since the terminal opened in 2007 and the numbers are
projected to grow.
This has wider benefits for Liverpool as the growing numbers of
tourists boosts the local economy, with each visitor currently
spending an average of £70 in the City during their day trips. We
already have a record number of cruise liners visiting Liverpool in
2014 for both transit and turnaround vessels and the quality of the
visitor experience helps drive our status as a world class
destination."
Ian Pollitt, development investment surveyor at Peel Group, said:-"The
cruise business will be important to Peel's and Liverpool's
ambitions over the coming years and we wanted to sample visitors'
impressions to get a feel for how perceptions of Liverpool are
changing.
It's hugely encouraging to see that so many visitors would visit
again and would recommend Liverpool to a friend. It confirms that
the City is making huge progress in its tourism offer." |
