A multi-million pound investment in walking and cycling throughout Liverpool city centre will come as a great benefit to disabled people.
Almost £13.5m is to be spent improving routes across the city after Liverpool Council approved the receipt of a grant from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA). The CA is distributing funds it received from the government's Levelling Up fund.
Cllr Pam Thomas, Liverpool Council cabinet member for equality, diversity and inclusion, said the new scheme would provide an opportunity to ensure the environment is more accessible to disabled people. A total of four schemes will be the subject of the grant funding, with the majority - £6.5m - to be spent in the Ropewalks area with improvements to pavements and roads by replacing the current carriageway and footway which have become broken, uneven and causing trip hazards due to poor construction.
This scheme also looks at improving the safety of pedestrians and cyclists in the area and promoting active travel. More than £3.3m is to be spent on the first phase of a project to improve the St George's Gateway around Dale Street and Great Crosshall Street, while a further £480,000 will be used to improve cycle facilities at Chapel Street and ensure a continuous segregated cycle lane connects new facilities at The Strand and Tithebarn Street.
A similar project is being undertaken on Dock Road, to the tune of £3m, and will address the cycle facilities disconnected at Waterloo Road and Regent Road. Cllr Thomas said the new and improved scheme would provide a lift to those with mobility and disability challenges.
She said: “This is an opportunity to ensure the environment is more accessible to disabled people. This doesn’t cover cycling so we need to make sure the policies that are in the local plan are included because there is further information there on how to ensure access for all.
“This will make improvements for people with mobility limitations and people who have issues with perception such as neurodiverse people or people with dementia, people with visual impairments, there’s a great opportunity to ensure they’re all included in this.”
Designs have already been completed for the second phase of the Ropewalks plan with a contractor, Graham Construction, already on site completing the first section. It is thought the council hopes to make revenue savings through the second scheme through a reduction in reactive repairs where the paving in some areas is in a poor state.
