One of Liverpool’s forgotten green lungs – regenerated from the recycled soil of a former landfill site – is set to re-open today (7 August).

A unique 24-acre recreational area, called Southern Grasslands, has been created as a result of a massive remediation programme to lay the foundations for a potential new housing scheme at the nearby Festival Gardens development zone.

It is the largest transformed green space opened in Liverpool in the 21st Century and is almost five times as big as Chavasse Park in Liverpool ONE.

Situated three miles south of Liverpool city centre, Southern Grasslands will be officially opened by Mayor Steve Rotheram and Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, Cllr Laura Robertson-Collins, at 10.30am on Monday 7 August.

Over the past two years, more than 400,000 cubic metres of soil and waste have been removed from the Festival Gardens development zone, land that was used as a public waste deposit facility for more than 30 years.

More than 95% of this material has been recycled including 100,000 cubic metres of earth that has created what will become an eco-haven for wildlife.

The radically relandscaped green space, which now rises by more than 30 feet to provide views of the city centre and River Mersey, also features more than 5,700 new trees and shrubs as well as 2km of walking paths near the shoreline.

The planting has involved the formation of new areas of woodland and meadow to create new habitats and to enrich the biodiversity in this unique coastal environment. This includes wildlife corridors to boost the population of insects, butterflies and bees.

Situated just a ten-minute walk from St Michael’s train station, Southern Grassland also contains a series of new public benches and picnic tables. The ambitious redesign means people will also have dedicated paths to the Festival Gardens park for the first time since it was famously opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1984, as part of the International Garden Festival.

The council’s principal contractor, VINCI Building, began work to transform the former landfill site and Southern Grasslands in early 2021.

The excavation programme, which has been shortlisted for a national Brownfield Award, has also included an additional £6m programme of ground infrastructure works to lay drainage and construct a substation to provide power supply for future development.

The package of works has been jointly funded by Liverpool City Council, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, Homes England and OFGEM.

Access to the rejuvenated site is also possible now through Riverside Drive, which now has Liverpool’s first ‘sparrow crossing’, which enables cyclists and pedestrians to cross the road using separate lanes.

Access from the riverfront, on Otterspool Promenade, has also been improved with new resurfacing, railings and art installations, providing an enhanced entrance into the Festival Gardens site for pedestrians and cyclists.

Southern Grasslands is also serviced by a new car park which will ensure it is accessible for people with mobility issues.

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