Alex Corina the artist behind the campaign says "I hope as many people as possible will turn up on Wednesday. It is crucial we make the case for Garstons regeneration with creative and cultural industries at the heart of the communities development in the run up to the Capital of Culture 2008." He cont'd "passing this resolution will send an important signal to organisations locally, regionally and nationally, responsible for regeneration and the creative industries, that the Garston Cultural Village campaign is being taken seriously."

In January 2004 more than 250 residents, artists and local businesses, attended the launch of the campaign to designate Garston a cultural village. The driving force behind this Campaign is by a local artist, Alex Corina,the artist behind the Mona Lennon (the image which covered the St George's building, measuring 80ft by 50ft, as part of Liverpool's successful Capital of Culture bid) and In February more than 35 artists attended a meeting to discuss plans for recording studios, exhibition spaces, community arts, a theatre, office studios and venues for live performances in Garston. They included painters, sculptors, musicians, actors, poets, digital designers, a film maker and landscape architects.
We believe that the campaign to designate Garston a Cultural Village has imagination and a vision for Garston that will have a significant and lasting impact, with the creative and cultural industries at the heart of the community's development and regeneration. Set in the context of years of investment in regeneration in Speke and Garston, through the Speke and Garston Partnership and Development Companies, the village of Garston, shows little in the way of benefiting from the millions invested and continues to decline particularly St Mary's Road for example, the closure of Seddon House, the Garston Hotel burnt out and numerous buildings in terminal decline. Historically many businesses have "just hung in there" with little investment resulting in the dereliction and abandonment of properties in some cases. This has been exacerbated by absentee property owners sitting on derelict properties waiting to sell when the time is right.

Historically many businesses have "just hung in there" with little investment resulting in the dereliction and abandonment of properties in some cases. This has been exacerbated by absentee property owners sitting on derelict properties waiting to sell when the time is right.
Nothing is more calculated to put off potential investors or businesses coming into the area than the appearance of St Mary's Road "the land that time forgot". As a result there is a scarcity of good office / studio accommodation and commercial opportunities for local people to set up new businesses or to attract more established ones from outside. The knock on effect of this is few local job opportunities, lack of confidence in the area, and no evening economy to speak of.