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THIS is the first public glimpse of the proposed layout for the controversial up-market housing and luxury apartments on Sefton Park Meadows.
Showing more than 50 new homes on the site, it was displayed at a five-hour drop-in session last night at the Greenbank Academy.
It illustrates "a run of dwellings along Queens Drive and Mossley Hill Drive facing Sefton Park, which reflect the existing Victorian development surrounding the Park in terms of layout, scale and aspect."
The city council's cabinet member for regeneration, Cllr Malcolm Kennedy, was involved in an angry verbal exchange as he walked through a line of protesters with banners who stood outside the academy.
Tempers were raised as insults were fired at Cllr Kennedy who retorted with his own verbal attack.
Around 150 people visited the session, prepared by heavyweight London PR company Lexington on behalf of developers Redrow which is owned by Garston-born Steve Morgan.
Some visitors to the event were critical that there were no council officials or Mayor Anderson himself present to listen to concerns from local people.
Cllr Kennedy responded: “This was not a council event, it was organised by the developers. The council will give people the opportunity to make comments when a planning application is submitted.”
This sort of thing, described as 'typical modern boxes' by one viewer, but 'bigger'
He said he was attending the event as an observer to learn for himself what Redrow wants to do with the site.
Information displays by Redrow indicated a timetable showing work could start in early 2015 if planning permission for the housing development is granted by the council.
Protesters, however, have vowed to fight the application and demand it is called in by Eric Pickles’ Department for Communities and Local Government.
Redrow says it intends to retain Park Avenue as a roadway through the site which will have a mix of four, five and six bedroomed houses, as well as blocks of two; or three bedroom apartments." The firm also promises “the retention of all trees, where possible”.
One person leaving the event didn’t share Redrow’s enthusiasm for the proposals.
“The type of houses shown look nothing like the beautiful Victorian villas surrounding the park. They are typical modern boxes, yes bigger than the usual new houses, a million miles from the villas,” he said.
Redrow's design is intended to reflect these Victorian villas on Sefton Park
Others described the event as a PR exercise, though visitors were given the opportunity by the staff present to comment on the proposals.
Redrow’s collection of “executive” homes feature some costing well over £1m, in line with Mayor Anderson’s aspiration to attract high-flying executives to live in the city.
Kim CattrallLIVERPOOL-born superstar Kim Catrall has thrown her weight behind the Save Sefton Park Meadows campaign.
The Sex and the City actress took to Twitter to share an image of some trees with her 143,000 followers, adding that she believed “people in cities need to have a place to walk and think and play”.
Cattrall grew up in Canada but returned to the city to star in Antony and Cleopatra at the Liverpool Playhouse a few years ago. In a conversation with one follower she described Sefton Park as "a haven 4 my Mom & Aunties. Especially during their below the poverty line childhood."
Warming to the theme, she urged "Keep Liverpool green," in a later tweet.
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'The firm also promises “the retention of all trees, where possible”.' "Where possible" is the get out in a city where listed buildings have their roofs removed or mysteriously catch fire so they can be demolished by a grateful developer for 'health and safety' reasons.
Ah yes, the Council Arsonist. As told to me by a retired fireman who was frequently got called out to 'old buildings catching fire'. And of course all the trees will have tree preservation orders on them. Usual way to get round this is to 'accidentally' ring bark them by deliberately scraping them with lorries and diggers so that they die. Just in case the developer didn't know how to do this.
If the Council needs to save money why is it paying for arsonists? Apart from the astounding lack of success of Merseyside Police in catching any of them it always ends in tears. Just look at those ugly flats in the Canning Street “Georgian Quarter” – and it is supposed to be a CONSERVATION AREA! They were thrown up when that church on the site was helpfully burned down by an arson attack at seven o’clock on a Sunday morning. They are supposed to be in harmony with the surrounding Georgian terraces; the laughing developer might as well have put up a big B&Q-style tin shed and painted it orange.
"Redrow's design is intended to reflect these Victorian villas on Sefton Park". It is obvious then that their architects need glasses.
I'm sure the Greens will come to love this development if only they'd use a bit more imagination. Try thinking of these new houses as 'brick wigwams' inhabited by the toiling descendants of the Druids
What 'Greens' would they be then?
Weird syllogism. Just because most adherents of new age religions, Druids etc. are Greens, if they have any interest in politics at all, it does not follow that all Greens are Druids. Or whatever.
Lots of Pagans have very right-wing views.
My theory is that the council is attempting to fool people into thinking that we still have public libraries - by allowing developments that resemble what architects think would be "trendy" for a library - lots of brick, lots of glass and no books.
Sounds a lot like what the museum quango think museums should be, too - lots of brick, lots of glass, and not a lot of exhibits. But what did they do with all the stuff?
Hear hear!
That will be the folks who gave us poor doors www.thetimes.co.uk/…/article4168835.ece… and took a few bob www.nationalheadlines.co.uk/…/…
Milking that newly found fact ain't ya?
Not surprising with the mayor involved.not much left of Liverpool left, why do you think people go there for, not to look like other countries, get a grip people.
Have you been drinking again?