Edge Lane scheme set to go ahead
Oct 27 2006
By Sam Lister Daily Post Staff

HOMEOWNERS fighting the contentious Edge

Lane road-widening scheme will be forced to look on as bulldozers move in on Monday to pull down hundreds of surrounding houses.

Despite a successful

High Court challenge brought by a resident opposing the plans, 265 derelict properties will be demolished over the next few months as the much-delayed

regeneration project gets under way.

Officials insist the work will pave the way for a multi-million pound facelift for the area, including new homes

to replace the run-down buildings.

But campaigner Elizabeth Pascoe, who brought the legal case against the organisations involved, last night

insisted the new road still cannot go ahead.

She said: "They are trying to take a stance to prove something. This is political sabre-rattling.



"They can knock them down, but the road still cannot go ahead while the other houses are still standing." The stretch of land, in the Edge Lane West

area, is being cleared to make way for major road improvements to remove the traffic bottleneck at St Cyprian's Church. It includes realigning the road,

widening it to dual carriageway and introducing a central reservation.

The project is being delivered by Liverpool Land Development Company (LLDC)

the Northwest Regional Development Agency, English Partnerships and Liverpool City Council.

David Waugh, LLDC chief executive, said: "The start of

work on Edge Lane West is a very important milestone for this project, which will provide the local community with new homes, new community and retail

facilities in place of currently derelict properties and a much safer road."

Last month a High Court judge refused to rubber-stamp a compulsory

purchase order forcing residents fighting the plans to leave.

Ms Pascoe argued the plan to buy up her home was a breach of her human rights, meaning

the whole project could potentially have to be redrawn.

A further ruling is expected next month.

Liverpool's Labour leader Joe Anderson

said: "This scheme seems to be just about tarting up the road.

"When I supported this I was given the false impression it was about improving traffic

flow but that doesn't appear to be the case at all.

"I can't see anything that will speed up the journey from the motorway to the city centre."



Cllr Marilyn Fielding, Liverpool's executive member for housing and neighbourhoods, said:



"The removal of derelict properties replaced by a

new housing development alongside large-scale environmental improvements will create a stunning gateway into the city."



samlister@dailypost.co.uk

Source:

icLiverpool