Regeneration plan for 19th century housing zone
A NEW plan which could lead to the regeneration of the Welsh Streets in Liverpool has been unveiled by the City Council.
The council’s cabinet is being asked to approve plans to enter a six-month exclusivity agreement with development company PlaceFirst, during which time it will carry out surveys and investigations before developing a new masterplan and submitting a planning application.
The firm is a specialist development company with a proven track record in converting 19th century housing into high quality homes which meet modern standards while retaining their original character and layout.
It is hoped a significant proportion of the 300 homes can be refurbished, with some knocked ‘three in to two’ to make them larger and appeal to families.
Those in a really poor condition and too costly to repair will be demolished with the possibility of creating community open space and new properties in their place.
The move follows a decision in January 2015 by the then Secretary of State Eric Pickles to overturn his independent planning inspector’s approval for a scheme which would have seen 271 homes be replaced by 154 new houses, along with 37 refurbished terraced properties.
Pickles also scrapped long standing planning and regeneration guidance which supported the need for large scale demolition, and replaced it with an approach that favours retention and refurbishment of older stock.
Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson said: “All we have ever done is try to do what the residents have told us and it’s important to remember 80% of them backed the original plans for this area.
“As a result of the prevarication over this scheme from different outside interest groups we have lost a £13m Government grant.
“However, given that the Government has changed the planning rules, we need to find a way forward in order to get this area sorted out as soon as possible and I am pleased we have been able to find a partner that is willing to look into taking on the Welsh Streets.
“The residents of the Welsh Streets have been in limbo for years after the Coalition Government axed the Housing Market Renewal Initiative. To add insult to injury, Eric Pickles then overturned his own planning inspector’s decision on a subsequent scheme despite it being supported by the vast majority of the local community.
“PlaceFirst has a great track record in regenerating old houses and I know they are genuinely excited about what they can do in the Welsh Streets. I want them to crack on with the detailed survey as quickly as possible.
“We’ve demonstrated with the regeneration of Anfield and our Homes for a Pound scheme that we are leading the way in finding imaginative ways of retaining properties where it is viable to do so.”
