The restoration of Southport's Kings Gardens to its former
glory has moved a step closer.
Sefton Council has submitted the final Stage 2 application
to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for more than £4m towards the total cost of
£5.5m. The rest will come from contributions from local developers (called
Section 106 money).
The highlight of the scheme is the restoration of the famous
Venetian bridge, together with the historic seating shelters, a visitor centre,
children's play area, improved public toilets and other amenities.
Lib Dem Councillor Mike Booth, Sefton Council's Cabinet
Member for Leisure, Culture and Tourism said: "The submission of the Kings
Gardens bid marks the culmination of a detailed development phase including
school workshops, family fun information events, a community steering group and
the creation of a new 'friends of' group.
"Kings Gardens occupy an important strategic position
in Southport providing a popular and pleasant link between the town centre and
the seafront.
"A lot of hard
work has gone into preparing this bid and we are optimistic that it will be looked
upon favourably by the HLF."
The full story is on Sefton Council's website. You can see
details of the King Gardens scheme here.
