Liverpool 's "failing infrastructure"
I've spotted a paragraph in some Liverpool Council documents about the city's "failing infrastructure".
On face value this is a very stark thing for the straight talking city treasurer Robert Corbett to be writing about.
What I think he's getting at is that Liverpool has a population of around 436,800 (although debate is currently raging about whether it's increasing or decreasing - depends which stats you read), but was built to cope with double that.
As a result there are many services, like GP surgeries that are no longer in the "right place", if you get my drift.
As society in general has become more affluent the mix of housing in the city no longer fits its needs. There are not enough family homes, meaning many are often forced to look to Wirral or Sefton for larger homes - this is not good for the city's tax base.
The city also faces a large backlog in repairs to key buildings like schools. It has made huge strides in cutting that backlog in recent years, and the hundreds of millions being spent through the national Building Schools for the Future programme will also help.
Mr Corbett wrote of the city's failing infrastructure while describing the Liverpool "context" for developing the city.
It serves as a reminder that despite all the great work that has transformed Liverpool in the past decade there is still a huge amount to do, and it will be even more challenging in the next couple years.
This is what Mr Corbett wrote:
"Liverpool is the sixth largest City in the country, covering an area of 11,114 hectares with a population of 436,800.
"It accounts for 40% of the City-region's employment base and 42% of its GDP.
"Since the mid 1990's there has been a noticeable sea change in the city, with substantial investment and regeneration continuing to take place, particularly in the city centre, providing a platform for long term sustainable growth and employment prosperity.
"The successful designation as European Capital of Culture for 2008 has strengthened the renaissance of the city.
"Despite these changes the city faces a major challenge in addressing the decline in many of its neighbourhoods and city centre areas which continue to suffer from high unemployment, poor quality housing, low educational attainment and a failing infrastructure."
Dale Street Associates
David Bartlett
City editor of the Post and Echo covering politics, regeneration, and urban affairs.
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