City's gay village set for approval; Road closures planned to create 'cafe culture' in Stanley Street EXCLUSIVE.

Byline: BY BEN SCHOFIELD Daily Post Staff

Eberle Street will be permanently shut, while Stanley Street, above - between Dale Street and Victoria Street - and Cumberland Street will be pedestrianised from 10pm to 5am, Thursday to Monday

LIVERPOOL'S Gay Village will get the go-ahead under a council scheme to pedestrianise three city centre streets.

Eberle, Stanley and Cumberland Streets will be closed to traffic in the evenings.

The council faces a race against time to get the scheme passed before a deadline for European grant funds runs out.

But some campaigners say the pounds 260,000 plans don't go far enough and won't cultivate the desired "cafe culture". It is understood a traffic order will be published imminently detailing the plans.

Eberle Street will be permanently blocked, while Stanley Street - between Dale Street and Victoria Street - and Cumberland Street will be pedestrianised from 10pm to 5am, Thursday to Monday. A plan floated last year suggested closing the street between 6pm and 6am.

During the initial consultation several businesses said they needed access later than 6pm. As well as gay-friendly nightclubs and bars, Stanley Street also houses solicitors Quinn Melville and Deli Fonseca restaurant and food store.

Candice Fonseca, owner of the award-winning deli, is pleased plans for an earlier closure have been dropped.

Blocking the street to traffic earlier than 10pm would hit her profits, she said.

Ms Fonseca added: "We're united in the sense we want Stanley Street upgraded, but the question is how to go about that. I open until 9pm. Parking is hard in the city centre.."

Ms Fonseca suggested a better way to spend the money would be to widen the pavements and add speed bumps.

Once the order is published anyone with concerns has 28 days to post a formal objection.

These will be heard at a meeting of the traffic and highways committee on December 15. If approved, a final go-ahead will be made by the council's executive board four days later.

The plan will cost pounds 268,000 and Liverpool City Council is hoping to use pounds 131,000 from Europe, but applications need to be in by the end of the year.

City centre representative Cllr Nick Small said: "This is an excellent opportunity for Liverpool and we all need to work together to make sure all the stakeholders are happy. I'm confident we will get a compromise to please everyone."

But Cllr Steve Radford, cochair of the city's Gay Business Association, said the 10pm pedestrianisation of Stanley Street will not be early enough to foster a "cafe culture". He supports proposals for Cumber-land and Eberle Streets.

He said last night: "We will be galvanising supporters to demand the closure from 7pm not 10pm.

"That would help businesses that are office-based clear the street - and allow it to become Liverpool's version of Manchester's Canal Street.

"To do less is a waste of public money and shows contempt for their own consultation."

Hydraulic bollards will stop traffic entering the streets to improve pedestrian safety.

Residents needing night-time access to off-street car parking will be issued with proximity cards that lower the bollards.

Work will start in January and be completed April, 2009.

Cllr Peter Millea, executive member for assets and develop-ment, said: "A traffic regula-tion order (TRO) for this plan will be published shortly and interested parties will be asked for their views. A final decision will be made depending on the responses.

"What is being proposed is a compromise between the various views, taking into account those businesses which operate during the day as well as boosting the night economy.

"If this scheme does go ahead following the TRO consultation, it could be the first step to a wider pedestrianisation of the area, making this part of the city centre more pedestrian friendly."

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