River channel in open space with seeded banks and a line of newly planted trees with stakes

River Restoration & Landscape Design,
Liverpool

This ambitious landscape restoration project diverted 300m of the River Alt to create a new park with trees, wetlands, meadow habitats and footpaths. Here’s how EAT Landscape contributed to the project’s stunning success.

Entrance area to natural open space marked with timber bollards, with grassy slopes and a small river to the right

Black metal sign at the side of a footpath in an open space saying Alt Meadows

The Brief

reinvigorating a run-down riverside park.

The River Alt Restoration Project is a partnership between the Cass Foundation and the Mersey Forest with support from the Environment Agency, Liverpool City Council and the local community in Stonebridge, Liverpool.

Flowing through an area of North Liverpool that experiences some of the most severe socio-economic problems in the UK, the River Alt is one of Liverpool City Council’s highest priorities for regeneration. As such, the project aimed to uncover a long-buried section of the River Alt and create a new public park with wetland wildlife habitats.

CGI visualisation of a small river in a valley with long meadow grass and trees and a footpath running alongside

Funding was obtained from the Environment Agency’s Catchment Restoration Fund grant and Liverpool City Council to transform an area of brownfield land blighted by anti-social activities like fly-tipping. Specifically, it was to ‘daylight’ the river, create attractive, publicly accessible greenspace and set the scene for regeneration at Stonebridge Cross in Croxteth. As such, the project aimed to uncover a long-buried section of the River Alt and create a new public park with wetland wildlife habitats.

The project was completed in collaboration with The Cass Foundation. This Liverpool-based charity aims to improve people’s health and well-being by improving the quality of places they live and encouraging access, communication, connection to place, and active lives.

Group of primary school children and teachers on a footpath in an open space and a man cutting a cake on a table

The Solution

transforming Liverpool landscapes.

EAT Landscape’s involvement with the project was to produce drawings and technical information for the in-channel works of the new section of river. We worked alongside Ecological Restoration Consultants Limited to design the river channel profiles, floodplain ledges, gravel riffle beds, and erosion control for the banks.

Coloured CAD plan of new river corridor showing types and locations of grass seed mixes

Our planting schemes for the new riverbanks, which introduced a mix of coir rolls and palettes with wildflower and wetland seed mixes, have not only beautified the area but also significantly contributed to the now-thriving wildlife. We are proud to have created a flourishing new riverside green space, Alt Meadows, around the watercourse.

The Alt Meadows Restoration Project has made a positive impact on the local area through a range of innovative measures, including:

Landscaping to reduce flooding risks and blockage due to poor river maintenance, which interfered with the potential for rich biodiversity.
Management of invasive species such as Japanese Knotweed and Himalayan Balsam.
Creating connectivity between networks of green spaces along the river.

Newly created river channel with meanders, seeded banks and a new tarmac footpath

Once a straight 300m underground channel, this section of the Alt now meanders through green space and is 870m long. Ultimately, the river restoration project will improve water quality, reduce flooding risk, and create new wildlife habitats in Croxteth.

Meanwhile, the new urban park is the 48th in Liverpool and will greatly enhance local access. It includes new walking and cycling routes that link housing, places of employment, shops, schools, and public transport, making it easier for the community to connect and commute.