With amendments to the design of the City Centre Connectivity Scheme due to be proposed to city councillors this week, St Johns Liverpool is concerned about the continued uncertainty and delay that the redesign poses for the centre, particularly at a time when businesses within St Johns are focusing on recovery.
Under the new plans, St Johns’ car park will be accessible via Elliot Street and Skelhorne Street, but with no route available from Lime Street, as had previously been the case – a significant change to the original design which has been planned and approved.
St Johns has previously consulted at length with Liverpool City Council throughout the planning and development of the Connectivity Scheme and is disappointed and surprised that changes are being proposed at this late stage.
The centre’s current priority is to understand the technical assessments that have been undertaken on the revised proposal that demonstrate that congestion and air quality issues are not being created at other locations and major junctions elsewhere in the city.
Neil Ashcroft, centre manager at St Johns Liverpool, said: “Our concern is not just for the centre itself, but for the many businesses, theatres, museums and cultural venues in the surrounding areas that rely on the easy accessibility of parking in this part of the city centre.
“These new plans may well translate to increased journey times for those travelling by car, which will, in turn, have a negative impact on emissions.
“To understand how the revised scheme will work for shoppers, workers residents and visitors, we need the highway modelling data to be made public.
“The Connectivity Scheme has always been about creating an improved experience when travelling around the city and we are keen to have assurances that this is still being achieved under the new plans.”
