Port Sunlight River Park before Newlands

- The area was regarded as an eyesore and a barrier between neighbourhoods.

Located on the banks of the River Mersey, just east of the historic Port Sunlight Village, Port Sunlight River Park was once a household waste landfill site before being closed down.

The area was regarded as an eyesore and a barrier between neighbourhoods.  It also restricted public access to the River Mersey and the Wirral Coastal Path, impeding people's enjoyment of the rich wildlife habitats and beautiful views across the river.

What Newlands did at  Port Sunlight River Park

An important element of the project at Port Sunlight River Park was community involvement.

The former landfill site was tidied and transformed by Newlands into a delightful community park, with new entrances, fences, signs and car parking facilities to enable and encourage access for all.  An abundance of wild flowers and trees were also planted to create a lush community woodland.

The park provided 4.2km of paths and 40 hectares of open space that made a positive difference for people and visitors.  The area became popular with dog walkers, wildlife spotters and many other community groups and also enabled nearby residents and businesses to benefit from greener surroundings.

An important element of the project at Port Sunlight River Park was community involvement - working in partnership with local people and organisations not only throughout the restoration but also helping to maintain and improve the area for the well being of the public in the long term.

The Newlands programme funded the majority of the restoration of Port Sunlight River Park and also guaranteed it's future as a community woodland by contributing an endowment, invested by the Land Trust, to secure the management of the site for 99 years.

Port Sunlight River Park today

- Port Sunlight River Park thrives as an attractive destination where people can enjoy a wide range of activities from running to picnicking.

Port Sunlight River Park thrives as an attractive destination where people can enjoy a wide range of activities from running to picnicking.

The opening event in August 2014 attracted approximately 400 people the site is now attracting a large amount of visitors daily.

The Wirral Autistic Society manages the park on behalf of the Land Trust on a day-to-day basis, promoting and developing the site for the benefit of local communities.