City council approves scheme on former hospital grounds, despite strong opposition
A controversial development on the grounds of the former Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool was approved by Liverpool City Council planning committee this morning (September 28), despite fierce objections from residents and councillors.
Another proposal for an extension to the neighbouring new Alder Hey complex was also separately approved.
The housing proposal by Manchester developer Step Places, which acquired the South Liverpool site from Alder Hey Childrens NHS Foundation Trust, is for four blocks of three- to five-storeys that would provide a total of 248 residential units.
These include retirement accommodation, family housing and apartments, and a special 13-unit autism facility, as well as a gym, creche, and 60,000 sq ft of office accommodation.
The applicant said all the homes are of a bespoke quality which promote and support the new Alder Hey Hospital facility.
Harinder Dhaliwal, managing director of Step Places, said housing on the site, which is also next to a public park, would be available for NHS staff to buy or rent to be close to the hospital.
The development is financially supported by Homes England.
However, in a one-and-a-half-hour session, the proposal attracted significant criticism.
Cllr Pat Moloney said car parking provision for the development was “totally unrealistic” and would lead to problems of overspill in the surrounding residential and retail areas.
Several members of the public addressed the committee, objecting on grounds such as fear of increased traffic and a claim local residents had been misled over the benefits of the scheme. Others said NHS staff will be priced out of the scheme and one, Keith Jones, branded the plans “an atrocious development”.
Stephen Guy, chair of the West Derby Society, called for the scheme to be referred to an independent planning inquiry.
He said it was “not in keeping with the local area which is predominantly low-rise housing.”
He said it would increase traffic noise and nuisance, adding that housing was not included in an original planning application for “a hospital in the park”.
Mr Guy said: “This site is over-developed. It is a hideous plan and traffic will be a major impact on our neighbourhood.”
Knotty Ash councillor, Harry Doyle, addressed the committee on the fears over traffic and parking, saying: “One of my biggest problems as a councillor since 2018 has been parking in this area. We are creating a problem for residents moving into this development.”
He also complained about the removal of existing trees on the site, as part of development plans.
Cllr Steve Radford objected to the design, saying: “It’s almost like Legoland being dumped in West Derby.”
Scheme is adjacent to park land
He also took council planning officers to task over their wording in the report concerning the impact on traffic for the area. Reading out one passage he remarked: “This is gobbledegook to say ‘there will be an impact’, but you don’t want us to know. Can we just have a bit more plain English in terms of the reports?”
Council planning officer, John Hayes, defended the scheme, saying: “This has never been open space and has always been part of the hospital estate. It is brownfield land.”
Responding to concerns over traffic problems, council officer Andy Dingwall added: “We’re satisfied with the level of parking provided across the site.”
The proposal was approved by four votes to two.
A separate proposal to develop a three-storey extension with clinical accommodation at ground and first floor and a new car park, by Alder Hey Childrens NHS Foundation Trust, was unanimously approved.
