Trees replaced on shopping street

The new trees will be dotted along Church Street

Work has begun to remove trees on one of the busiest shopping streets in Liverpool as part of a £5.5m project to improve the city centre.

The trees, planted in the 1970s, are being removed because officials fear their branches may fall on passers-by.

Thirty three mature trees, nine metres tall, will be planted to replace them.

Other improvements include adding high quality granite paving, new street lighting, benches and litter bins.

The replacement trees are being brought in from Germany

The old trees were assessed by experts from the city council who found they were in poor condition.

Work began to move the trees on Sunday morning.

A council spokesman said all the trees will be chipped and recycled.

Carl Speight, general manager of the council's business improvement district, said: "This scheme will help to complement the nearby Paradise Project and ensure our prime retail area remains an important part of the city centre.

"There has been extensive consultation with retailers and businesses and we will continue to do all we can to work with the council to ensure any disruption is kept to a minimum.

"This is a very exciting scheme that will bring this vital area up to date and make it an enjoyable and pleasant place to work, to shop and to visit."

The scheme has been funded by Liverpool City Council, the NorthWest Development Agency, the European Regional Development Fund, and Cityfocus.