An extra £2.3m is set to be spent to help Liverpool’s businesses adapt to operating outdoors this year – and new documents indicate there could be a longer term shift toward the practice.
Liverpool Council’s cabinet is set to formally accept the money from the combined authority next week.
It follows the initial scheme last year which saw major city roads such as Castle Street, Bold Street and Lark Lane shut to traffic to allow businesses to operate outside in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
A council report said the original Without Walls expenditure last year helped more than 150 city businesses and created 2,723 new covers for restaurants.
However, it also said the new funding, which will see the creation of two new roles to oversee this year’s rollout, will look to make remedy some issues with the temporary nature of the current infrastructure.
The cabinet report said: “The roll out will fail if there is not a better solution to adapt the public highways to support accessible solutions and address the current issues that have been created by the temporary nature of the infrastructure.
“The success of the scheme is based upon ensuring a long-term infrastructure installation, as well as ownership and responsibility from those businesses’ and communities who will benefit from it.”
Funding is also set to be given to the other five boroughs in the city region, with all of them set to share findings.
Liverpool Council’s cabinet will meet next Friday to formally accept the grant.
