NWDA funds £3.4m improvements for Liverpool waterfront

The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) has agreed to fund £3.4m of improvements to the infrastructure around Liverpool waterfront. The scheme includes the construction of a new pedestrian bridge between Kings Waterfront and Albert Dock, as well as a new visitor centre at Albert Dock. Other changes include improving pavements, signposting, visitor facilities and disabled access. Liverpool Vision and the NWDA are leading the Waterfront Connections programme, as it is known, with input from Liverpool city council, the Albert Dock Company and others. Jim Gill, chief executive of Liverpool Vision, said: “Transforming the Waterfront into a visitor destination of international quality is of fundamental importance to the economy of Liverpool and Merseyside, and a cornerstone of the regeneration strategy for the city centre.” The scheme will be complete by the end of this year, in time for Liverpool’s coronation as European Capital of Culture in 2008. Up to 1.7m extra visitors are expected in Liverpool next year. Much of the waterfront area around Mann Island will be under construction, with the building of a new museum and a new mixed-use scheme by Neptune Developments and Countryside Properties. Steven Broomhead, chief executive of the NWDA, said: “This project will maximize the impact of new developments, improving the overall visitor experience and making Liverpool a destination to rival the world’s major cities.”