Property developer, Davos, shifts to suburban market with Sefton Park plans

Davos Property Developments, a subsidiary of Liverpool-based retailer TJ Morris, is seeking permission for its first foray into the city’s suburban housing market.

The company has submitted a planning application for an abandoned site on Ibbotson’s Lane, on the eastern boundary of Sefton Park, at the centre of which is a derelict early 20th century property.

Martin Haymes, architect with Falconer Chester Hall, said: “This was a statement home in its day, and we spent a lot of time with the city council examining how we might adapt and re-use it, but its condition has defeated us, which is a pity.

“Our client invested heavily in structural and other reports but they have all told us that the only viable way forward was to look afresh at the site.”

He added: “Our next challenge was to identify how to bring the site back to use in a way that respects its sensitive heritage context, and what you see in the application reflects 18 months of productive work with the local authority.

“We explored a range of design options and have arrived at a sensitive and respectful approach that considers the site’s landscape assets and the architectural vernacular of the area’s Victorian mansions.

“The original garden was a classic formal design and we’ve re-created it using organic design principles to maximise biodiversity, whilst retaining the majority of existing trees and providing new ones alongside other planting.”

The result is aimed to be one of the most luxurious, high end developments in the city on a site which bookends the Mossley Hill and Sefton Park conservation areas.

Seventeen large, three-bed apartments are proposed in a scheme that marks a departure from the developer’s focus on city centre homes.

Martin Haymes said: “Our client understands the south Liverpool market and the location and specification will continue the trend we have seen elsewhere in Mossley Hill, offering a contemporary interpretation of the luxury lifestyles offered by the nearby Victorian mansions.

“Liverpool needs more family homes and larger apartments, and this scheme will provide both.

“This is a quiet road with a largely green and open aspect. It is perfect for executives downsizing from the larger properties in the area but wanting to remain connected to the neighbourhood, or for in-comers wanting the very best of Liverpool.

“The apartments are exceptionally large, with specifications and detailing to match.”

The site, midway between the popular independent dining areas of Lark Lane and Allerton Road, respects the 1:5 grounds-to-building ratio typical of the mansions in the surrounding roads.

The scheme’s use of red brick and varied roofscapes is designed to reflect both conservation areas’ aesthetic.

Alongside Falconer Chester Hall, the scheme’s professional team incorporates: Landscape Architect – Sally Bower; planning consultant – Roman Summer Associates; transport consultant – Focus Transport; structural engineer – MNP; heritage consultant – Adapt Heritage; ecological consultant – Pennine Ecology.

Davos is also involved in a £10m mixed-use development in the city’s Baltic tech district and a 97,000 sq ft speculative warehouse in Speke, South Liverpool.

Another TJ Morris property subsidiary, KEIE, is working with Liverpool property firm, Beetham, on plans for a major £1bn development on the banks of the River Mersey which is expected to feature a cluster of tall buildings, including one over 60-storeys high, and the city’s first five-star hotel.