It does, I was pleasantly surprised by the improvement of Holt Rd. Seemed lots going on.
Many thanks for your recent pics. Much appreciated :PDT11
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It does, I was pleasantly surprised by the improvement of Holt Rd. Seemed lots going on.
Many thanks for your recent pics. Much appreciated :PDT11
No probs at all.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kev
It's what this forum should be all about.
Are these still here, hope I didn't miss them.:eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by marky
These can make for some artsy shots.
Hi MaxQuote:
Originally Posted by Max
They are still there. Just been past before.
A NOTORIOUS row of derelict houses have been given an unusual new look for Capital of Culture year.
Imposing terraced properties in Edge Lane have been boarded up for years while controversial regeneration plans for the area are fought over.
City officials want to demolish them and build a 21st-century community in their place, but some residents are still battling to save them.
They successfully halted an attempt to bulldoze the properties last year.
Now, with 2008 looming, the ugly metal shutters keeping the houses secure from vandals and arsonists have been brightened up with modern artwork.
The designs are similar to those being used to hide eyesore structures and building sites from view during Capital of Culture.
Council chiefs launched the Look Of The City scheme earlier this year because they were worried that tourists attending arts events would be put off by scenes of dereliction. The designs were drawn up by Liverpool-based advertising agency Finch to try to reflect different aspects of the city’s history and cultural life.
As well as adorning shutters on houses at the west end of Edge Lane, they are used on banners on lampposts at the road’s central section, near the retail park.
Finch’s managing director Tim Crutchley said: “We wanted to capture a look and feel that captured the essence of the people, the place and the heritage in a visually stimulating way.”
The future of Edge Lane’s boarded-up houses may finally be decided during 2008, after years of uncertainty.
Liverpool Land Development Company (LLDC) wants to bulldoze them so modern apartments and shops can be built on one of the main routes into the city centre.
But a number of residents, led by Elizabeth Pascoe, of Adderley Street, have fought against the multi-million pound scheme, saying the houses should be refurbished. A second public inquiry will be held soon.
nick.coligan@liverpool.com
The next page on my www.edge-lane.com website will be going up this week.Quote:
But a number of residents, led by Elizabeth Pascoe, of Adderley Street, have fought against the multi-million pound scheme, saying the houses should be refurbished. A second public inquiry will be held soon.
Now that Flash Earth has updated the 'new' Edge Lane, I've put a layer of Edge Lane from 1996 and Edge Lane from 2008 and shown that with all the millions spent upgrading the area, the layout of the road is exactly the same. Millions wasted on little more than putting fancy new kerbs in and done nothing for the motorist.
If they think they're going to demolish the rest of Edge Lane and cheapen it with flatpack houses then watch this space :PDT11
I've put a layer of Edge Lane from 1996 and Edge Lane from 2008 and shown that with all the millions spent upgrading the area, the layout of the road is exactly the same. Millions wasted on little more than putting fancy new kerbs in and done nothing for the motorist.
If they think they're going to demolish the rest of Edge Lane and cheapen it with flatpack houses then watch this space :PDT11[/QUOTE
How do you expect them to change the road layout of edge lane without knocking houses down, and on what authority do u know that the new 21 century houses will be "flat pack"?
Something to do with using the old tram route which is now the central reservation would have been a good start. Making Edge Lane a 3 lane access would have been money better spent than adding new kerbstones. :rolleyes:Quote:
How do you expect them to change the road layout of edge lane without knocking houses down, and on what authority do u know that the new 21 century houses will be "flat pack
I agree with you there, 18 months of upheaval for commuters seems a ridiculous price to pay for some fancy lighting and new pavements.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cadfael
Brighter look for boarded-up houses as battle to save them goes on
Jan 2 2008
by Aaron Boland, Liverpool Daily Post
http://images.icnetwork.co.uk/upl/li...5866BC7685.jpg
A ROW of derelict houses in the key Edge Lane gateway to Liverpool has been given an exuberant new look to cover up their appearance for Capital of Culture year.
The terraced properties in Edge Lane have been boarded up for a long time while regeneration plans for the area are fought over.
City officials want to demolish them as part of regeneration plans, but some residents are still fighting to save them.
They halted an attempt to bulldoze them last year.
Now the ugly metal shutters keeping the houses secure from vandals and arsonists have been brightened up with artwork featuring the city, Everton and Liverpool football clubs and The Beatles.
The designs are similar to those used to hide eyesores and building sites during Capital of Culture year.
Council chiefs launched the Look of the City scheme because they were worried tourists would be put off by scenes of dereliction.
The designs were drawn up by Liverpool-based advertising agency Finch to try to reflect different aspects of the city’s history and cultural life.
The designs are also used on banners on lamp-posts at the road’s central section.
The future of Edge Lane’s boarded-up houses will be decided in 2008, after years of uncertainty, with a second public inquiry to be held soon.
Reaction to the artwork has been mixed so far, with some people regarding the colourful pictures as “too garish.”
Source: Liverpool Daily Post
I could not believe my eyes when I saw the boarded up houses have now been painted! What a joke. Nice to see that the roadworks have ended, only took a couple of years:rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by Cadfael
When the houses are demolished edge lane will be straightened and widened. The pavements will also be widened and new improved crossings will be created. Houses will also be built away from the road unlike the current houses and will comprise a mixture of houses and apartments. A new community centre will be built, new green space created, improved lighting, new businesses and a vastly better environment will be created. All this will create a safer, cleaner, greener environment and will create hundreds of jobs, completely revitalising the area.
To say this project is nothing but a spruce up is a rediculous comment!:disgust:
[QUOTE]How are they going to get past the biggest hurdle on Edge Lane which is the Church on the corner of Edge Lane/Durning Road?Quote:
Originally Posted by AK1
It's true. Nothing has been done to help the traffic problem from the M62 down Edge Lane. No new roads have been created, roads have been blocked off which were hardly used before. You point out one area that the motorist has benefitted from from the Rocket up to McDonalds and I'll buy everyone a pint. The whole Edge Lane experience has been a licence to waste money on new kerbstones and new lights so far - nothing else.Quote:
To say this project is nothing but a spruce up is a rediculous comment!:disgust:
Personally I wouldn't call environmental improvements such as new kerbs and lights etc a waste of money. It's about time we started spending money on our streetscape to give us a city to be truly proud of. I don't know about you but I'm sick to death of travelling around this city and seeing nothing but crappy pavements, pot holes, filth, rusted street furniture and poor lighting.
Regarding the church, if you look at the plans the new road would be angled away from the church and widened into the area where the derelict houses currently stand.
You have my agreement there 100%, however Edge Lane has been billed at a Multi-million quid enhancement, and all they have done is to titivate it up with new kerbs and new lights. They've done nothing at all to improve the flow of traffic in the slightest. That's what annoys me the most - tax that I have to pay has gone on virtually installing gold paving down Edge Lane so it looks better. It'll soon weather and look exactly like it did before hand 10 years down the line.Quote:
Personally I wouldn't call environmental improvements such as new kerbs and lights etc a waste of money. It's about time we started spending money on our streetscape to give us a city to be truly proud of. I don't know about you but I'm sick to death of travelling around this city and seeing nothing but crappy pavements, pot holes, filth, rusted street furniture and poor lighting.
Looking at the streaming video of Edge Lane, all they are doing at the Church location is putting in an extra lane near the traffic lights so you can turn right. That's the only extra piece of road they're putting there - hardly worth the millions of pounds being spent on the 'redevelopment'.Quote:
Regarding the church, if you look at the plans the new road would be angled away from the church and widened into the area where the derelict houses currently stand.
Firstly, the kerbs and lights where needed, yes it will weather like everything else, nothing lasts for ever, golden rule of capitalism is that you must speculate to accumulate i.e nice looking liverpool attracts more money meaning more money to spend on keeping liverpool looking nice!Quote:
Originally Posted by Cadfael
Secondly I also noticed new water pipes being layed amongst other things which would account for the longevity of the project.
Thirdly the problem with traffic on edge lane always has and always will be where two lanes turns into one, Im sure once the houses have been demolished it will be possible to make at least two lanes either way around the church. I wouldnt use the streaming video as gospel its never going to look 100% like the finished article.
In summary your critisism is based on work in progress, whilst being fully behind the authorities plans I can see some merits to Pascoe et al's arguements, however this wasn't the place to fight against the erosion of liverpool's past, that area needs to redeveloped, for the good of the city. Or we could just leave everything as it is, curl up in our little town that time forgot and die. Thank god its not up to you!
I'll direct you to my website at www.edge-lane.com if you've not yet seen it.Quote:
In summary your critisism is based on work in progress, whilst being fully behind the authorities plans I can see some merits to Pascoe et al's arguements, however this wasn't the place to fight against the erosion of liverpool's past, that area needs to redeveloped, for the good of the city. Or we could just leave everything as it is, curl up in our little town that time forgot and die. Thank god its not up to you!
My summary is down to two things, having seen the plans for what the new development will do to the area, and two, having travelled up Edge Lane recently, it serves no more purpose to the Motorist than it used to. That is my gripe. Why should I pay my taxes for someone to come along and try and make the road look nicer without looking at the problem of traffic?
Ms Pascoe isn't doing this out of spite, she's a woman in her 60's and not in great heath, and doesn't want to be given a pittance for her house at her time of life.
Clearly she doesn’t want to be moving etc and she has every right to put up a fight that is the beauty of a democracy. That’s where my sympathies lay. Do we know how much she has actually been offered? So little that she could not move anywhere else?
I also believe she has degrees in architecture and environmental science, and I wouldn’t argue with her that the existing housing could rejuvenated, but I honestly ask you how many people would want to there live there? The fact know one wants to live there also renders the properties around there virtually worthless.
And even if the houses were restored that doesn’t solve the traffic problems.
Which is ultimately what this is all about, and to repeat myself the real traffic causing problems can't be dealt with until the houses are cleared back. Your own plans admit that it would be a tight squeeze to fit a dual carriage way in the final phase.
Your alternatives include more traffic lights and crossings then the original plans! That will help traffic flow!
The price I heard for properties on Edge Lane was £50,000. Sod knows where you can get a house for £50,000 these days. Coupled with the fact that these new houses/apartments are going to be sold for £125,000, some one is making a healthy profit somewhere.
The traffic problem will never go away from Edge Lane whether there are houses there or open land. Dont forget it was planned for the M62 to go all the way in to Liverpool and this was the chosen land for it. When the second council got in, they messed all the plans up and left what we see today - it is the same as the Kings Drive Ring Road.
I'm sure if you care to read the website properly, traffic flow has been studied well with the alternative plans that we suggest. This isn't just a piece of paper at the traffic lights, we asked Liverpool Uni to produce readings judged by the traffic flow, the average amount of cars that pass through each day and where the problems occur.
It is not about the speed of cars going down that is the problem, it is the average speed of a car throughout Edge Lane.
Saw this, this morning, I know it has nothing to do with liverpool but it makes me wonder how much has been spent on this fiasco.
Empty houses see £800,000 spend
A total of £800,000 has been spent maintaining empty houses earmarked for demolition in Stoke-on-Trent.
BBC Read More
knock them down, and move on, obviously no-one really wants to live in them
Edge Lane demolition will 'improve Liverpool' claims developer
Jan 15 2008
THE demolition of 370 Victorian houses on Edge Lane will “vastly improve a gateway into the city”, developers said yesterday.
But campaigners trying to block the forced sale of almost 70 of the houses say the scheme will destroy what is left of their community.
More...
[QUOTE=Cadfael;99486]Quote:
How are they going to get past the biggest hurdle on Edge Lane which is the Church on the corner of Edge Lane/Durning Road?
they cant knock the church down,i used to go to edge hill,and all the after school fights was held there to see who the cock of the school was.
It's true. Nothing has been done to help the traffic problem from the M62 down Edge Lane. No new roads have been created, roads have been blocked off which were hardly used before. You point out one area that the motorist has benefitted from from the Rocket up to McDonalds and I'll buy everyone a pint. The whole Edge Lane experience has been a licence to waste money on new kerbstones and new lights so far - nothing else.
It's quite funny but about 2 years ago, I was stuck in a traffic jam on Edge Lane from the Rocket. Now that all the millions has been spent on the road, I'm stuck in exactly the same traffic jam as nothing has been done to help the motorist.
A fantastic effort :rolleyes:
£9m investment threat over forced Edge Lane house sales
Jan 16 2008
By Ben Schofield, Liverpool Daily Post
http://images.icnetwork.co.uk/upl/ic...175CEB5B31.jpg
MILLIONS of pounds could be withdrawn from the Edge Lane West project if developers are prevented from forcing homeowners to sell their houses, a planning inquiry heard yesterday.
Opponents of the scheme told the planning inspector they believed housing market failure in the area was deliberately engineered. as part of a conspiracy.
The planning inspector is hearing evidence to decide whether to uphold a compulsory purchase order (CPO) on almost 70 houses along Edge Lane and surrounding streets.
If the order goes through the houses and 300 others will be demolished along to make way for a wider "urban boulevard".
The scheme is being spearheaded by Liverpool Land Development Company (LLDC) and national regeneration agency English Partnerships (EP).
The agency’s area director for Merseyside and Cheshire, Eliot Lewis-Ward, told the inquiry his organisation would plough more than £9m into the Edge Lane West scheme.
But he added: "In the event that the order is not confirmed, or only confirmed in part, English Partnerships would have to re-appraise its involvement in the scheme.
"Without the order’s confirmation, it is very unlikely the envisaged regeneration benefits would be achieved, which could result in our resources being directed elsewhere."
As well as road widening, the plans include 280 new houses, a new medical centre and shops.
Because Liverpool City Council already owns the majority of the houses, and there is no appetite to go ahead with the project on a "piecemeal" basis, it is unclear how the project would proceed without English Partnerships.
Mr Lewis-Ward told the Daily Post if the inquiry ruled against the CPO, his agency would "re-evaluate" their position to see if the plan wa the right one for them.
It is the second CPO issued on the properties.
The first was quashed in the High Court in November, 2006, on a technicality.
Elizabeth Pascoe, head of opponents’ group Better Environmental Vision for Edge Lane (BEVEL) brought that action after a similar public inquiry in December, 2005. Ms Pascoe, who claims to have spent 10,000 unpaid hours fighting the plans, said in her opening statement: "I think it is most unfortunate that we find ourselves back here again, wasting public money.
"I cannot bring myself to do politically correct, and it is very hard to avoid this becoming anything other than antagonistic or acrimonious.
"I have watched them for years using funding made available to help us instead to destroy us. It is impossible for our side not to seem like a polemic because as almost anyone in the street will tell you, ‘this stinks’."
LLDC and English Partnership’s case hinges in part on claims the area is suffering from housing market failure because few people want to live in the houses.
But Ms Pascoe told the inquiry she believed the situation was artificially engineered.
She said: "Two years ago when the previous CPO kicked off in 2005 we had 131 empty properties in these orderlands (correct), mostly vacated since 2002
"Of those 131 empty, 127 were social tenants given incentives to go elsewhere."
Chris Lockhart-Mummery, QC, opened the case for the CPO.
He said developers would rely on arguments put forward in the previous inquiry because they remained valid.
He said: "Whilst accepting the burden must remain on EP to justify confirmation of this order, it must be incumbent on objectors to show why the conclusions on the merits in 2005/2006 are not sound today."
"If the Secretary of State were to arrive at different conclusions from those reached in the decision letter relating to [the first] CPO, she would have to have regard to the merits of making consistent decisions and to give reasons for arriving at a different conclusion."
Mr Lockhart-Mummery called Mike Burchnall, Liverpool City Council’s assistant executive director for regeneration services.
Mr Burchnall said an alternative plan for the area submitted by BEVEL, known as Plan B, was unsuitable.
He doubted if it could get either planning permission, secure funding, or deliver the regeneration promised by the LLDC plans.
A report will be drawn up by a planning inspector and passed to Local Government Minister Hazel Blears is expected to announce her decision by the summer.
benschofield@dailypost.co.uk
Source: Liverpool Daily Post
It's important to remember that there's still roadworks taking place along edge lane so there's still going to be a few heavy traffic jams. Even the project leader himself said that the improvements to the road aren't major, they are designed to help the traffic flow better, which will happen when the entire project is complete. He said the main objective of the scheme is to improve the local area with new housing, jobs etc etcQuote:
Originally Posted by Cadfael
Home failure ‘conspiracy’ is denied
ALLEGATIONS that housing market failure along Edge Lane were deliberately engineered were strongly denied at a planning inquiry yesterday. Read
Nice of the reporter not to include my website address despite a nice e-mail from him saying that on his next report, he'll try and include it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kev
An 'urban boulevard'? You mean concrete and flat stones for as far as the eye can see?
I fail to see just one point - forget my involvement and the road itself, LCC seem to concentrate on the houses themselves saying that no one likes them and that they're falling down. Is it just me or would anyone else like to have a house as big as that? They're bloody massive inside - I've been in to one that is still being used and you would pay over a million if the same house was in a different area. I grant you that these were built before the success of the motorcar in today's terms, so there's no drive or garage, but sod me, if one of those houses came on the market for buttons, I'd certainly buy it and do it up in my own time.
The 'aging' part of it has nothing to do with the problem. Why not knock down Speke Hall then as that's getting on a bit.
You only have to look at an official report titled 'Edge Lane Survey Report' at http://www.edgelane.moonfruit.com/surveys to see that these are structurally sound!
It's true that alot of the houses are in good condition, but it's also true that no-one wants them and they are in the way of creating a much cleaner, greener, safer and prosperous environment. If they stayed they would simply end up getting diced up into cheap flats that would fall into further dereliction plus the road would become ever more congested and dangerous and new facilities couldn't be built.
You have to think ahead, I would love to see the houses kept but only if all the other enhancements could take place aswell which they can't. (by the way, the new paving etc is granite, not concrete.
Edge Lane demolition "10 times more expensive" than restoring area
Jan 24 2008
by Laura Sharpe, Liverpool Daily Post
IT COULD cost 10 times as much to demolish homes on Liverpool’s Edge Lane than refurbish them, a public inquiry heard yesterday.
More...
Many of those glazed yellow brick houses are magnificent!!! If restored they will be far better than any modern house - and look better too. The larger can be converted to flats with correct soundproofing added. Many were made into flats in the 1970s. I know I designed the heating and gas installations in many of them. I must admit the conversions were far from ideal, being built down to a price. Current building regs would improve the conversions. They would need to be highly insulated to keep people from fuel poverty.Quote:
Originally Posted by AK1
I don't believe in keeping something because it is just old. Somethings that are old are not worth having. Some things that are old certainly are. We are running out of fine old buildings in Liverpool. 30 years ago the city was full of fine old buildings - the philistines who ran the city since have decimated the place.
If these homes have to go the re-located replacements must look exactly like them. Not some modern attempt at retro-style which never works - exactly like them in glazed brick, etc.
:handclap::handclap::handclap: I'll clap till my hands are sore.Quote:
Originally Posted by Waterways
All this city has done, and is still doing, is squander its heritage:Quote:
Originally Posted by Cadfael
- The miss-placed Arena at the Kings Dock was built on in-filled historic docks - some of it is used for coach parking to bus in outsiders for big companies to make money.
- Princes and Princes half-tide docks are filled in to canal boat depths precluding deep water vessels.
- Cases Street, one of the city's oldest streets was demolished for a tacky shopping mall.
- demolition of the warehouses at Waterloo Dock (half are left and desirable flats now)
- Countless 200 year old warehouses were bulldozed, which could have made fine "solid" apartments.
- the demolition of the old palladium warehouses at Dukes Dock (cars park there now)
- etc
- etc
The Customs House and Sailors Home could have been saved and the overhead renovated. What attractions they could be now in 08.
Do Edge Lane up, don't knock it down
Jan 24 2008
by Laura Sharpe, Liverpool Echo
http://images.icnetwork.co.uk/upl/li...65AE0110DC.jpg
IT COULD cost 10 times as much to demolish homes on Liverpool’s Edge Lane than refurbish them, a public inquiry was told.
Academics speaking against a compulsory purchase order to demolish 70 Victorian homes for a new gateway into Liverpool said refurbishment was the best option because it was cheaper and more environmentally friendly.
More...
The Customs House? A St. Paul's Cathedral lookalike. If in London it would have been renovated.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ged
The David Lewis Building. The old St John's market and all the buildings and small squares around. The decimation of the Georgian houses around Upper Parliament St. A whole Georgian sector was obliterated!!!! Only a small amount survive. We can all go on and on and on.
News
Edge Lane demolition "10 times more expensive" than restoring areaJan 24 2008
by Laura Sharpe, Liverpool Daily Post
IT COULD cost 10 times as much to demolish homes on Liverpool’s Edge Lane than refurbish them, a public inquiry heard yesterday.
Academics speaking against a Compulsory Purchase Order to demolish 70 Victorian homes to create a new gateway into Liverpool said refurbishment was the best option because it was cheaper and more environmentally friendly.
In total 370 homes will be demolished, 300 of which have already been acquired.
During a day where objec-tors asked English Partnerships, the proposers of the plan, to think beyond policy set in black and white, three experts put forward alternative visions for one of the city’s main gateways.
Doctor Jason Palmer, who has conducted research for the Energy Trust on home efficiency, said carbon diox-ide produced during demolition would be equivalent to the amount produced by 4,000 homes over a year.
He said each new home would generate 9,200 tonnes of CO2 compared to 1,533 from the existing homes.
He said his research into sustainable construction led him to believe, with social aspects aside, that refurbish-ment was best for biodiversity, environment and climate change. He said based on research, it was 10 times cheaper to refurbish a house than to build a new one. The claims were contested by Christopher Lockhart-Mummery, a barrister representing English Partnerships.
Cross examining, Mr Lockhart-Mummery said the outline planning permission was for eco homes which would offset the amount of CO2 used to build them within 12 years, giving over 88 years of energy efficiency.
He also countered claims on biodiveristy saying a study revealed negligible ecological value in the area.
Many of the homes will have substantial gardens instead of the existing rear paved yards, which would aid biodiversity.
But Professor Anne Power, who has been involved with housing market renewal and regeneration across the world, said: “It is invariably quicker and cheaper to refurbish than demolish in terms ofrebuilding the property and infrastructure.”
She said a 2003 report put the cost of demolition to the public purse at £17,000-£35,000 and she estimated the cost to replace infrastructure per demolished home to be £35,000.
Concentrating on the “massive social impact” Professor Power spoke on the displacement of vulnerable people and increased crime and vandalism during clearance programmes. She also spoke on the need to tame traffic and think “avant-guard” in planning, following the example of US cities where they are pulling down roads and putting communities first.
The inquiry continues.
Tears as homes crusader tells inquiry of residents’ heartache
Jan 25 2008
by Laura Sharpe, Liverpool Daily Post
A TEARFUL pensioner who is fighting to save houses from the bulldozer told a public inquiry yesterday of the heartache of some residents who had already been forced to leave their homes.
Elizabeth Pascoe said she had taken up the battle to save people’s homes in Liverpool’s Edge Lane and recounted the moving stories of residents affected by the demolition plans.
Mrs Pascoe, a member of Better Environmental Vision for Edge Lane (Bevel) which is opposed to the land acquisition, said many of her friends and neighbours had felt forced to hand over their homes.
More...
Major new setback to Liverpool’s Edge Lane plans
Mar 14 2008
by Ben Schofield, Liverpool Daily Post
THE Government’s leading design advisors have condemned plans to transform a key gateway into Liverpool, the Daily Post can reveal.
Cabe, the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, has rubbished the scheme to redevelop Edge Lane in a letter to Liverpool council planners.
Cabe refused to support the proposals because they would not meet key objectives. CABE believes the project, part of a £350m masterplan, will not transform the housing stock and renew the property market as intended.
Nor, it claims, will it improve the entrance “gateway” into the city, a key objective of the multi-million pound scheme. It says developers should think again and urged councillors to throw out the planning application.
Cabe is statutory consultee on large developments.
The letter was sent in response to an application to the council by Bellway Homes to build 210 replacement homes.
But the proposed houses are “generic and unremarkable” and the plans repeat “familiar mistakes of unsuccessful housing estates”, the letter says.
Some houses on the estate will have a “bleak outlook” and “limited private gardens”.
Cabe also lambasted the plan for being of inferior quality for such a major application.
The litany of criticism has led a senior councillor to question why the developer did not consult more closely with Cabe to get approval.
And objectors to the project say the letter vindicates their long-term opposition.
Developer Liverpool Land Development Company says it will now work with Bellway to address Cabe’s concerns.
The Edge Lane West scheme was the subject of a public inquiry that closed at the end of last month.
National regeneration agency English Partnerships and LLDC are pursuing a compulsory purchase order to buy up almost 70 properties along the route.
If the CPO is confirmed by the inquiry, those properties would be knocked down with almost 300 others to make way for a wider dual carriageway deeper into Liverpool.
While Cabe agreed with the principle of giving the entrance corridor a facelift, it said widening the road was not the only way to do it.
Cabe’s design review advisor, Menaka Sahai, wrote: “Whilst the intention to widen the highway in this section could be one way of enhancing the journey into Liverpool, we do not think that it is the only way to achieve this aim.
“We urge the local planning authority and their highway department to continue to explore all alternatives and put forward a convincing case for highway widening.”
The letter went on to lament the “loss to the built environment” that would occur if the houses are demolished.
The advisor continued: “We are thoroughly disappointed to see that the design team appear to have used standard house designs which have not been meaningfully adapted and are as such an unspecific response to the site structure.
“We are not convinced that the widening of the highway, demolition of the existing buildings and the proposed housing will achieve the objectives of the [supplementary planning document] to improve the entrance route into Liverpool and lead to the type of positive transformational change that is fundamental to Housing Market Renewal.
“As it stands, we are unable to support this scheme and think that this planning application should not be given consent.”
Cllr Mike Storey, executive member for regeneration, said Cabe’s denunciation was a “bolt from the blue”.
He added: “I’m disappointed that LLDC didn’t work in harmony with Cabe.
“I don’t know why that hasn’t happened. We need to look at what Cabe is saying and look at if we can address Cabe’s concerns.”
Cllr Storey said he stood by the road-widening part of the project, saying the area would remain blighted for at least another decade if the current scheme did not go ahead.
But he said people only needed to look at the “crazy housing schemes of the 60s and 70s” to know how damaging poorly planned developments can be.
“We can be more choosey about design – we don’t take any old rubbish that comes along and can go for quality rather than quantity.”
Elizabeth Pascoe, a leading community campaigner and staunch opponent of LLDC’s proposals, said: “It’s exactly what we said – people said they didn’t want to live in apartments and certainly don’t want to live in rabbit huts that are half the size.”
Ian Hassall, chief executive of LLDC, said: “We welcome Cabe’s endorsement of the area-wide regeneration aims of the Edge Lane West scheme, and their support for the planning policy for this area.
“Cabe’s comments concerning the detailed design of the scheme will be fed back to Bellway’s design team for consideration. We will work with Bellway to address the areas of concern.”
A Liverpool City Council spokesperson said: “Cabe’s views, along with any other comments, will be taken into account when the committee looks at the planning application.”
No-one from Bellway Homes was available for comment.
Source: Liverpool Daily Post
Road saga that won’t go away
Mar 14 2008
by Toby Chapman, Liverpool Daily Post
THE saga of redeveloping Edge Lane is one which simply refuses to come to an end. Liverpool City Council, English Partnerships and developers Liverpool Land Development Company are still reeling at being thwarted in their aims by battling pensioner Elizabeth Pascoe.
Now the Government’s own advisor on architecture, design and public space has expressed its opinion on the scheme – and its views support those of local campaigners.
Cabe – the Commission for Architecture and Built Environment – is concerned by the regeneration proposals for Edge Lane West.
The Commission says it appreciates the need to improve such a key gateway to Liverpool. But it does not favour the plan to widen Edge Lane and insists alternatives must be investigated.
And, in a further d*mning conclusion, Cabe not only supports Mrs Pascoe’s claim that the 370 houses earmarked for demolition by Liverpool planners would be needless victims of the wrecking ball, but adds: “We think that the demolition of these buildings will be a loss to the built environment of Edge Lane.”
So it is fairly clear where the body which has the Government’s ear on planning matters stands on this topic.
What is less certain is where this leaves the Edge Lane redevelopment.
A city council spokesperson says Cabe’s views will be considered when the committee meets to discuss the planning application.
But what will the committee make of Cabe’s claims of “fundamental problems” and “sub-standard” levels of design with the scheme?
The Battle of Edge Lane was launched by residents unwilling to give up their much loved homes without a fight.
Perhaps Liverpool will one day have reason to be grateful to Mrs Pascoe and her supporters.
The delays they have brought about may well lead to a higher quality gateway for the city – one achieved without the loss of nearly 400 homes.
Source: Liverpool Daily Post