The long-running saga of what to do with the Liverpool Garden Festival site looks like finally coming to an end with works about to start on restoring the gardens for public use.
Land owner Langtree has reached agreement with a range of organisations to fund, oversee, deliver and manage the gardens. The North West Development Agency is putting up £3.7m for the scheme.
"The start of work to restore the international garden festival site is a significant step forward in spearheading the regeneration of this area of Liverpool and creating the conditions for significant future private sector investment on the adjacent site," said Agency chief executive Steve Broomhead.
It is hoped to open the Festival Gardens in the spring of next year.
"Once completed, the new park will be a magnificent asset for the local community," said Land Restoration Trust chief executive Euan Hall.
"However the most important thing about the restoration is that this time we will be able to ensure that the park can be managed for the benefit of the local community not just now but for many future generations."
Much of the original site was developed for residential use after closure of the festival in 1984.
