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£2.1m for Liverpool urban park plans
in bRief
NWDA funding boost for former International Garden Festival site refurbishment
Refusal urged for
Peak Park wind farm
By Pete Hayman The Peak District National Park
Authority (PDNPA) has urged the
Plans for the restoration of the refusal of a major wind farm
gardens at Liverpool's former within 1.5 miles (2.4km) of its
International Garden Festival boundary, arguing that better
site have been handed a £2.1m renewable energy solutions
funding boost by the North- should be pursued for sensitive
west Regional Development landscapes than wind farms. The
Agency (NWDA). wind farm would have five
Merseyside-based developer turbines, with blade-tips up to
Langtree is behind the planned 126m (413ft) high. The PDNPA
redevelopment, which aims to says this would make them
transform the site – which has among the highest in England
remained derelict for the past Langtree aims to transform the site into a major visitor attraction and visible from most vantage
25 years – into a major new points in the national park up to
visitor attraction for the city. City Council are also involved Langtree managing director 20 miles (32.2km) away.
The first phase of the with the scheme, which is in John Downes, added: "The
International Garden Festival line to receive £1.6m from the agency's investment will also
City boatyard set for
site scheme will include work to Northwest European Regional cover the management and
new lease of life
restore the Chinese garden, the Development Fund as well. maintenance of the park for British Waterways has unveiled
Japanese gardens, the lakes Steven Broomhead, NWDA five years, within which time it new plans for the regeneration
and watercourses and the chief executive, said: "The is anticipated that we will be of the historic Taylor's Boatyard,
woodland sculpture trails. agency is working closely with able to commence develop- situated in the Chester Canal
Mersey Waterfront, the Land our partners to take forward ment on the balance of the site Basin on the Shropshire Union
Restoration Trust and Liverpool the redevelopment of this site." and secure its long-term future." Canal. The restoration of the
Grade II-listed buildings at the
0.5-acre (0.2-hectare) site is set
First stage of Derbyshire gardens revamp unveiled
to play a key role in preserving
Chester's heritage, while also
By Pete Hayman becoming a commercially viable
enterprise in its own right. The
Belper River Gardens in Belper, boatyard complex currently
Derbyshire have reopened to includes a series of main
the public after work on the workshops and a brick foundry, a
first stage of a major refurbish- joinery workshop, canalside work
ment scheme – designed to areas and a dry dock area.
preserve and upgrade the site
– was completed.
£2m boost for Scottish
Phase one of the project has
machair preservation
been carried out by Alfreton- A new £2m scheme to preserve
based contractor, EMS Civils, machair wildlife habitats on the
which included piling work to Hebrides archipelago off the
stabilise the banks of the River west coast of Scotland has been
Derwent and the reconstruction The first stage of the project has taken eight months to complete handed a funding boost by the
of the walls, the mill lade, paths European Union (EU). More than
and the gardens' play area. Amber Valley Borough through a £40,000 contribu- £1m will be invested over a
The first stage of the project Council (AVBC) is also planning tion from AVBC. The scheme four-year period by the EU Life +
has taken eight months to a design competition for the has also received a £50,000 fund following an application by
complete at a cost of around third stage, which will focus on grant from the People Millions a group led by RSPB Scotland,
£750,000. Meanwhile, the the park's Swiss tearooms. scheme – run by ITV and the which will match the grant
second phase is expected to Funding for the new play Big Lottery Fund – following a funding in partnership with the
get underway in October and area established as part of successful funding application local authority – Comhairle nan
will involve the replanting of phase one of the Belper River by local community group, the Eilean Siar (CnES) – and Scottish
lost trees and shrubs. Gardens project was secured Friends of Belper River Gardens. Natural Heritage (SNH).
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