Features

Rob Monaghan and Larry Deck in Speke

In the year 2000 when Speke was rated the second most deprived area in England and Wales its future looked bleak, but since then the area has undergone considerable regeneration with new buildings sprouting along Speke Boulevard.

The redevelopment has included the building of new shopping developments and the investment in local retail and business parks.

Speke was developed, as a self contained town in the 1930s with the intention of creating a garden city.

The area's industry was hit by the closure of several factories in the 1970s and 80s.

As the part of the regeneration Speke District Centre has been demolished to make way for new football pitches for use by Parklands School, and after school hours the local community.

An ongoing programme

Rob Monaghan, Head of Gateways at Liverpool Vision says the opening of the pitches is a significant marker in the area’s regeneration.

"It really started off with the work of Speke Garston Development Company delivering regeneration along the whole corridor.

"It was about bringing regeneration of the whole of this horseshoe," Rob explains.

"Demolishing the old district centre and the production of these playing fields is the end of that part of regeneration but regeneration across the whole of the Speke estate is ongoing."

Local resident Larry Dack says the redevelopment of Speke is beginning to transform the local area, "It was very derelict and run down and open to graffiti and abuse," Larry says.

"It’s there for the future generations of Speke, we haven’t had many facilities for a number of years.

"We now have them and have got them available to people if they want to use them.

"It’s an improving area.

"I know residents who will say they think it’s a negative thing but they don’t get involved so they don’t know the plus points and they only see the bad side.

"There are a lot of good sides, the playing fields, we’ve got a new supermarket which we never had, we’ve got shops, we’ve got the things we lost a long time ago.

"What we probably struggle with is the community spirit, we hope that will build up.

For Rob Monaghan the regeneration project is a long term plan, "The wider benefits will be seen in coming years.”

"We’re bringing significant jobs in to the area in terms of the regeneration that’s happening in the likes of the Estuary Park, the Matchworks and Speke Retail Park.

"What we need to do is to be more proactive in making sure the residents of Speke are able to access those jobs.

Larry Dack is keen that the negative image that Speke has had in recent years is dispelled by the new investment in the area, "There are good things going on but people believe what they read in newspapers.

"I’ve lived here 35 years, I think it’s a great place to live, we’ve got good people.

"We’ve got negatives as well, I accept that, but that applies to everywhere."