Bold Street makeover to create bohemian rhapsody

A multi million pound makeover is set to transform the bohemian heart of Liverpool. Liverpool City Council is looking to pedestrianise the full length of Bold Street to boost the emerging café culture and music scene in the historic Ropewalks area of the City Centre.

The scheme will be split into 2 phases:-

► Phase 1 - Bold Street and Seel Street.

► Phase 2 - Wood Street, Fleet Street, Slater Street, Colquitt Street.

Funding of ₤4.5m has been secured for phase 1 which is part of Liverpool City Region's Sustainable Transport Enhancement Package (STEP) with ₤3m provided from the Local Growth Fund and ₤1.5m coming from section 106 funds that the City Council has collected from residential and commercial developments in the City Centre.

As part of the Ropewalks proposals there are opportunities to improve the area including installing new and improved seating and lighting, planting new trees and improving safety for pedestrians and cyclists.

The Council, which recently completed an upgrade to St Luke's Church at the top of Bold Street, is also looking to reverse the 1 way traffic system on Seel Street, running from Gradwell Street to Berry Street and losing Seel Street between Colquitt Street and Slater Street at night time.

The aim of the proposals are to reduce the amount of traffic collisions, improve the connections to and around this area of the City Centre, and support and help attract future investment.

The City Council is holding a public consultation event on the proposals, on Monday, 19 March 2018, in The Box at FACT, 88 Wood St, from 2pm to 8pm.

Councillor Ann O'Byrne, Deputy Mayor of Liverpool, said:- "Bold Street and the Ropewalks area in general has transformed in the past ten years as the edgy bohemian heart of Liverpool led by a new of creative, independent businesses. Both the daytime and night time economies in this part of the City Centre has flourished and created new demands in terms of traffic and the time has come to provide some solutions. Pedestrainising the full length of Bold Street has the potential to cement this amazingly colourful, vibrant street as 1 of the most dynamic in Britain. The business community, their customers, residents, visitors have all been talking about the need for a safer, greener and more user friendly street and I'm delighted we've been able to secure the funds to begin delivering that."

Steve Rotheram, Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor, added:- "Bold Street is a superb example of an area given new life by the energy and entrepreneurialism that independent businesses bring and is 1 of the City Region's real success stories. As a Combined Authority we are very happy to support these exciting plans which will help Bold Street go from strength to strength, by making it an even more attractive place for people to visit and enjoy."

The Ropewalks scheme is part of Liverpool City Council's wider ₤300m Better Roads programme, which also includes a new City Centre connectivity scheme that will begin this Autumn and will see a radical reshaping of:- Lime Street and Queen Square and Paradise Street Bus Stations, with the introduction of a new City Centre Bus Hub.

Once consultation is complete and the Ropewalks plans have been approved, it is anticipated the works will begin on Phase 1, in January 2019 and be completed by November 2019.

Hillsborough sculpture moves to Liverpool John Lennon Airport

AN art sculpture to the 96 people who died at Hillsborough has been officially unveiled in its new home at Liverpool John Lennon Airport. 'The Band of Life' commissioned by Mayor Joe Anderson in conjunction with the Hillsborough Family Support Group to mark the 25th Anniversary of the disaster in 2014; has been relocated from the Atrium, on Old Hall Street, where it has been for the last 3 years.

'The Band of Life'  is a simple band representing the bond between the families, friends, survivors and fans who were brought together in a time for the love of the lost ones. The band is a link between them, representing a continuous circle of love bringing the City of Liverpool together to remember. It has 96 lights, each representing a person who died, with the illumination symbolising a commitment to continue to bring light to their life.

It was officially unveiled in its new home at the airport in a special ceremony, on Thursday, 15 March 2018, attended by Lord Mayor, Cllr Malcolm Kennedy, representatives of the families and senior airport managers.

The Lord Mayor said:- "I am pleased and privileged to have unveiled the Band of Life at Liverpool John Lennon Airport.  It is a poignant symbol of the 96 innocent football fans that needlessly lost their lives, and a constant reminder of the long fight for truth and justice by their families."

Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson said:- "The Band of Life's new home at Liverpool John Lennon Airport will mean it will be seen by millions of people every year, which is really important as we are committed to forever remembering the 96 lives that were lost.  It will give people the opportunity to reflect not just on those who died, but also the incredible bravery of their families."

Hillsborough Family Support Group chair, Margaret Aspinall, said:- "The Band of Life is hugely symbolic, not just to those who died and the families who've lost loved ones, but also the survivors and those who've supported us for so many years. I've wanted it to go somewhere that it would be seen by many, many people and Liverpool John Lennon Airport is an excellent location given the large number of people who pass through their doors every year."

Robert Hough, Chairman of Liverpool John Lennon Airport commented:- "When we heard that a new home was being sought for the Band of Life, we were naturally only too happy to offer space for this to be relocated close to the Arrivals area in the Airport terminal building. This will help to ensure that the millions of arriving passengers at the Airport, be they visitors to the City Region or those returning home, will continue to remember the 96 lives that were lost."