Park to be reinstated while sewer project paused

A Liverpool park due to be dug up for a huge underground water tank will be temporarily reinstated while further investigations are carried out.

United Utilities said it would restore grass and remove temporary fencing at Wavertree Park, known locally as The Mystery, while work on the flood prevention scheme remains paused.

The firm said it had "identified the need for further assessments across the catchment" as design work progressed and before construction could begin.

Steve Kenyon, from United Utilities, said reinstating the site ensured it was not "unnecessarily occupied when active construction work is not taking place".

"We appreciate that any construction activity within public spaces can be disruptive and we understand the importance of Wavertree Park to the local community," he said.

Work on the project was paused at the beginning of September and additional investigations will now be carried out, United Utilities said.

The proposals, which have been criticised by local residents, would see the construction of an underground tank capable of holding 7 million litres of water, enough to fill three Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Councillor Richard Kemp said he was pleased work would eventually continue because it would help protect road users on Queens Drive and hundreds of nearby households affected by damp.

However, he said it was "a shambles" that the decision to pause work had not been communicated to councillors and residents for about a month.

"It was only a chance call into the site by one of my residents that alerted me to the situation and forced United Utilities into a clear statement," he said.

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