Toxteth gets £90,000 pay-out after summer's criminal disturbance
Nearly £90,000 is being ploughed into the streets of Toxteth and south Liverpool – worst-hit by last summer’s criminal disturbances.
Toxteth and parts of Wavertree will receive a pot of cash set aside by the Government in response to August’s disorder.
Following the trouble a business recovery group was established in the city to help firms affected.
The money will be directed towards areas including Lodge Lane, Lawrence Road, Earle Road and parts of Smithdown Road.
Two nights of rioting cost hundreds of thousands of pounds to shops, homes, supermarkets and cars.
Now community leaders are discussing how best to allocate the windfall to those who need it most.
Marketing accounts for almost a third of the total – with £28,000 being spent on promoting culturally diverse areas like Lodge Lane.
Liverpool council is pushing the potential of the famous Toxteth street as it tries to attract visitors to districts outside the city centre.
The Muslim Enterprise Development Service believes its culturally-diverse restaurants can grow in popularity and enjoy some of the success experienced by Lark Lane in neighbouring Aigburth.
Halal food outlets, Persian bazaars and clothing stores selling Middle Eastern robes and masque hats are being actively promoted by tourist bosses.
Among the other allocated cash is:
- £11,500 for remedial/security work on empty shops
- £10,200 for clean-up equipment, hanging baskets and painting
- £6,000 for loss adjusters following criminal damage
- £5,890 for the Tiber Project – a community pride event
- £5,000 for films to be made by local company Bling Films and streamed through a local TV channel
Up to £10,000 is earmarked for two “entrance gateway or artworks” at the junctions of Lodge Lane, Smithdown Road, Upper Parliament Street and Tunnel Road.
The Princes Park councillor said: “This will be used to promote the Lodge Lane area, get more people shopping here, doing the area up – making a positive out of a negative.
“The riots didn’t impact on Toxteth as much as other cities, mainly because of the people now active in the community.
“Those who were here at the time of the 1980s riots were able to guide people this time. They are positive role models who pointed them in the right direction.”
In a separate project called the Local Authority Recovery Scheme the authority has claimed £60,000 to compensate for damage to roads, street lamps and rubbish bins.
A Liverpool council spokesman said: “The government has stressed their funding is aimed at restoring footfall to businesses levels experienced before the disturbances and restoring business confidence.
“As such spending on marketing and promotion is to be welcomed.
“All activity has been based round restoring economic activity, supporting them while they repair their premises and has been warmly welcomed by businesses in the areas.”
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