A Heritage Impact Survey is being carried out into the condition of the historic Cambridge Arcade in Southport town centre.
The work has been commissioned by Sefton Council, which is preparing to invest £400,000 into renovating the beautiful Victoria era structure, which is around 150 years old.
It is part of nearly £2million which Sefton Council is spending on improving a number of buildings in the borough which require ‘immediate intervention’. This includes work currently taking place at Southport Town Hall, next to the arcade.
This week the local authority gave its planning permission to proposals to create 30 apartments and an eye-catching new roof terrace on the upper floors of the former BHS department store which is also next to Cambridge Arcade.
Read More: 30 new apartments and roof terrace at ‘At Risk’ former BHS store in Southport win approval
Planning permission has previously been given to create a new restaurant / cafe (Hugo Lounge), three new retail units and a pub on the ground floor of the former BHS building.
The council is currently asking people to take part in a consultation about public realm work with the ambition of improving the public realm and routes through Southport town centre, which people can take here: yourseftonyoursay.sefton.gov.uk/futuresouthport/
Further details of the renovation work at Cambridge Arcade will be announced once the results of the survey are known.
A spokesperson for Sefton Council said: “We are working hard to progress repair and rejuvenation works to the canopy within Cambridge Arcade, Southport.
“In order to undertake any physical works to the canopy, we must first await the results of a Heritage Impact Survey which we have commissioned.
“This survey will ultimately guide and inform all repair works, allowing us to secure the structure while preserving its heritage and architectural importance.”
The spokesperson added that further details and timescales will be announced in due course, once officers have been presented with the results of the survey.
Cambridge Walks and Cambridge Arcade were constructed in the 1870s and are a key link between Chapel Street and Lord Street, with a further entrance out onto Eastbank Street.
The investment will be welcomed with significant redevelopment taking place in the area.
Sefton Council is due to create a new Enterprise Arcade for new businesses in Crown Buildings, at the Eastbank Street end of Cambridge Arcade.
The £1million redevelopment of the Cloisters building on Corporation Street into the new Techedia HQ is also currently taking place.
Work is taking place at the moment to open a new Tesco store at the entrance to Southport Railway Station on Chapel Street.
In a Sefton Council report in November last year, Sefton Council Executive Director of Corporate Resources and Customer Services Stephan Van Arendsen said: “We have recently engaged agency staff to assist in developing this programme of work and they have recently formulated, using historical asset management information, a range of priority schemes.
“The plan is based on addressing the greatest needs within the corporate property portfolio and focuses on asset sustainability, ensuring the fabric is both wind and weatherproof, along with addressing any known Health and Safety concerns.
“A provisional programme has been drafted and this covers a range of work at several sites.”
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