Member Article

Redrow chosen as preferred partner for Liverpool development

Liverpool City Council has selected Redrow as its preferred development partner for a 2.62 hectare site at Park Avenue, near Sefton Park to the south of the city centre.

The land, known locally as Sefton Park Meadows, was declared surplus to requirements last year.

The authority advertised for a developer to come forward with ideas for a bespoke, high quality scheme which is sensitive to the area.

The sale will provide a much-needed financial boost for the council, which says the money will be invested in “projects that benefit the city”.

Redrow will hold a pre-planning public consultation drop-in event in September, at which people will be able to comment on their outline ideas for the site.

Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson said: “This land lies outside of the boundary of Sefton Park and was originally earmarked for housing when the park was built.

“I have been clear that any scheme which is brought forward must be of the highest quality, of low density and in keeping with the area.

“At the moment we simply do not have enough executive homes in the city, and I believe this scheme will help us meet some of that demand, and provide more council tax income which we can use to help protect services.

“We all know that these are difficult financial times for the council, and I will make sure the money raised from the sale of this land is used for projects that improve the city.”

The scheme has attracted protests, with more than 7,000 people signing a petition opposing it. Any building project would require planning permission.

Although no price has been set, a council report last year confirmed that land of similar size had been sold by the city for up to £10m.

A spokesperson for Redrow Home (NW) said: “We will now be undertaking further work prior to submitting a planning application and this will include discussions with the planning authority, English Heritage and others.

“We fully understand and appreciate that this is a site in a very sensitive location. We will ensure that any planning application that is submitted is high quality and in keeping with the local surroundings.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .