Liverpool City Council Update on Speke Open Spaces
As many residents will know, the City Council is committed to a programme of park creation and park enhancement works across Speke. This is a result of the limited provision of parks on the estate along with the loss of Speke Park to the Parklands development. The sites included within the project are:

• Blackrod Avenue Park
• Stapleton Avenue Park
• Mains Rough
• Phoenix Park
• Millwood school site

The City Council must secure grant funding from external agencies for all the proposed developments and improvements works. The first phase for improvements that were carried out at Blackrod Avenue Park and Stapleton Avenue Park in 2001 were funded in this way. We have now secured further funding to progress the next phase of development at these two sites. This will include new paths, kick-about areas and landscaping, and will be completed in the Spring of 2003.

For the remaining sites i.e. Mains Rough, Phoenix Park and the site of the Millwood School, there will shortly be a further round of consultation to enable residents to review the agreed priorities for these parks against the grant funding which the Council is seeking to secure. These meetings will be arranged by The Appleton Group firm of consultants. Anybody wishing to attend should contact the Appleton Group on: 0151 236 1518, for details of dates and venues.

If the council's funding bids are successful, then it is anticipated that the development of these parks will be progressed over a two year period beginning in the Autumn of this year.

The City Council is currently awaiting a decision on its application for funding to demolish the vacant Speke Comprehensive School buildings. These demolitions will be carried out at the earliest date after funding approval has been received.