North Liverpool - the focus of future regeneration.

[Medici]

The first new housing on Scotland Road for many years is taking shape just by Silvester Street. From this point of the thoroughfare, the street frontage of Scotland Road right along to the Flower Streets on Stanley Road should be rebuilt with shops on the ground and flats above. Some of this is landscaped, by Lambeth Road playing fields, and some of it needs tearing down, further along. I also think that the derelict Georgian terraces should simply be bulldozed. They have been a blight for years and it's not an area of significant architectural merit, instead building high quality social housing should be the priority in this area, no more estates with the backdoors facing the main road please!

[Pablo Diablo]

Originally Posted by Medici

The first new housing on Scotland Road for many years is taking shape just by Silvester Street. From this point of the thoroughfare, the street frontage of Scotland Road right along to the Flower Streets on Stanley Road should be rebuilt with shops on the ground and flats above. Some of this is landscaped, by Lambeth Road playing fields, and some of it needs tearing down, further along. I also think that the derelict Georgian terraces should simply be bulldozed. They have been a blight for years and it's not an area of significant architectural merit, instead building high quality social housing should be the priority in this area, no more estates with the backdoors facing the main road please!

I agree with your general feeling. However, building just social housing will ensure the area remains economically depressed. We need to build high quality mixed areas that attract families, yuppies, OAPs etc of all socio-economic groups. In other words, we need to build communities, not houses.

Also, as the area will be a stone's throw from LW, the newly announced Stanley Dock regeneration area and any other 'north of Leeds St' extensions of the central area, I feel this housing needs to be dense. No bungalows and no sprawling suburbia. Scotland Road itself should only have tall mixed social/private apartment blocks with ground-level retail (look at Avinguda Diagonal in Barcelona or Karl-Marx-Allee in Berlin for what Scottie Rd could be) and the side streets should be large family town houses. The modern trend of replacing the dense inner city with growth-constraining suburbia is most annoying

[Medici]

Originally Posted by Pablo Diablo

I agree with your general feeling. However, building just social housing will ensure the area remains economically depressed. We need to build high quality mixed areas that attract families, yuppies, OAPs etc of all socio-economic groups. In other words, we need to build communities, not houses.

Also, as the area will be a stone's throw from LW, the newly announced Stanley Dock regeneration area and any other 'north of Leeds St' extensions of the central area, I feel this housing needs to be dense. No bungalows and no sprawling suburbia. Scotland Road itself should only have tall mixed social/private apartment blocks with ground-level retail (look at Avinguda Diagonal in Barcelona or Karl-Marx-Allee in Berlin for what Scottie Rd could be) and the side streets should be large family town houses. The modern trend of replacing the dense inner city with growth-constraining suburbia is most annoying

I agree, if you read my posts above that is what I wrote. I do accept that the areas bordering the city centre, Leeds Street and all of the areas around the tunnel up to St Anthony's church should see tallish apartment blocks built there. There are a lot of scruffy brownfield sites bordering into Kirkdale which are suitable for quality social housing or decent private family houses. Not everyone can afford to buy a house you know, and this country is averse to renting, whereas on the continent more people rent.

[Pablo Diablo]

Originally Posted by Medici

I agree, if you read my posts above that is what I wrote. I do accept that the areas bordering the city centre, Leeds Street and all of the areas around the tunnel up to St Anthony's church should see tallish apartment blocks built there. There are a lot of scruffy brownfield sites bordering into Kirkdale which are suitable for quality social housing or decent private family houses. Not everyone can afford to buy a house you know, and this country is averse to renting, whereas on the continent more people rent.

In Germany (which is what most people actually mean what they say 'the continent'), local authorities are landlords with very large property portfolios. But the German authorities own a wide mix of stock which is available to practically anyone on long term leases. You don't have to be 'poor' to live in social housing in Germany.

Ideally, what I would like to see is something along the same lines as the German system. I'd like to see Scotland Road (and other major 'exit' roads from the centre) lined with 6/7 story blocks that are owned (or just managed) by a Housing Authority. These blocks would have ground level retail. The upper floors would contain a mixture of offices and various sizes of apartments - from 1/2 beds to 4/5 beds, some would be more basic (and cheaper) with maybe just one bathroom, no balcony, smaller living space etc, some bigger (and more expensive) with multiple bathrooms/en suites, spacious balconies etc. They would essentially be the equivalent size of a house in the suburbs but with communal gardens and parking.
If these were all managed by an authority with rent/price controls, the basic ones would be affordable for poorer people.
I do think they should be available for sale and not just for rent but if the authority is the landlord, the rent is controlled (so no surprise massive rent increases) and there's the option of long leases (10+ years), I think people would be more open to renting.


EDIT - bit off topic, sorry

[Paul D]

£130m deal sees Liverpool get 2,500 new homes in next three years

AROUND 2,500 new homes are to be built as part of a plan to kick-start the housing market and Liverpool’s economy.

A £130m deal which involves the council giving away land to social landlords and providing a subsidy of up to £15,000 per unit will see the construction of 2,000 houses.

Social landlords will pay for the build, and half will be for rent and half as affordable homes for sale.

And an additional 500 homes will be built at the Stonebridge Cross site, off the East Lancs Road, as part of a separate £200m scheme.

The plan for that site – once occupied by the Gillmoss estate – also includes the possible relocation of St John Bosco College, a health centre, and a shopping precinct.

The Labour-run council is also putting £3m into a scheme to provide deposits for first time buyers for up to 20% of the value of a home, while £2m is being invested in repairing derelict homes.

When the £130m school building programme, announced recently, is included, the investment reaches almost £500m.

Liverpool council leader Joe Anderson said: “This is the biggest investment of this type we have seen for decades – a half a billion pounds over a period of three years.”

He said it was hoped 2,000 jobs would be created in the construction industry via the schemes.

The plan for 2,000 new homes will see them built on 20-plus brownfield sites across the city.

It is hoped work will start in spring next year, with a three-year build programme.

Read More http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liver...#ixzz1ceMTqmn6

[Medici]

Liverpool and Everton fans unite for Football Quarter

A fan zone, football museum and housing are among the proposals
Liverpool and Everton fans have teamed up to help regenerate deprived areas in north Liverpool.
The rivals want to attract investors to transform areas around Anfield and Goodison Park.
Supporter groups Spirit of Shankly and Keeping Everton In Our City launched the plans for the Football Quarter at the Museum of Liverpool earlier.
Walton Labour MP Joe Benton and Bootle Labour MP Steve Rotherham are backing the project.
Called All Together Now, the new group says the scheme will celebrate the history of both clubs and bring educational benefits and job opportunities to communities surrounding the clubs.
Proposals include new homes near both grounds and joint facilities for the clubs including a centre of excellence educational facility, a football museum and an event and fan zone.
Paul Gardner of the Spirit of Shankly said: "It is an exciting and unique concept to unite both clubs and use the football club as an anchor to regenerate the surrounding communities.
"The Football Quarter will transform the lives of thousands of fans living in some of the most deprived parts of the UK but within two Premiership clubs.
"I am hopeful we can do this even in this economic climate."
Colin Fitzpatrick of Keeping Everton In Our City said: "I believe football clubs should be an asset of their communities and Everton injects more than £10m into the local economy throughout the season.
"The Football Quarter is designed to compliment and build on these achievements for the benefit of fans, their communities, and the club's prosperity."
Mr Rotherham and Mr Benton are calling on people to help "make the vision a reality".
Mr Benton said: "The economic and social benefits will directly translate into more jobs, vastly improved standards in health and education as well as create a dramatic and positive physical change to the area and its facilities."
Mr Rotherham said: "We have a collective duty to ensure that the areas in the vicinity of both Anfield and Goodison Park capitalise on the regeneration potential and reflect the world-renowned status of both clubs."


This is great, but for 2012 I would like to see action rather than talk. LFC need to start work on a new stadium, it's obvioulsy the key to progress on and off the pitch, and EFC need to make a statement of intent as where they are going next. These 2 big clubs future is so integrally bound up with the future of north Liverpool that this plan pleases me but it will take more than talk.

[Dingle All The Way]

http://thefootballquarter.com/docs/t...erspective.pdf

Here is the full prospectus about the football quarter idea. I like it.

[Scarecrow]

That's the clincher. This fella aint John!

Cheers for the link Dingle.

[Medici]

Living in north Liverpool I am naturally a sceptic, but I would like to see some sort of timescale for the football quarter. I can bet that this development will not begin in 2012, and probably the year after if ever. Just like Project Jennifer which for some reason is still on the drawing board. Suprising really its a fairly modest development in the poorest place in the UK which is sparsely populated. LFC have been talking about a ground move for a good few years now, and EFC haven't laid a single brick despite this being on since about 1992.

Stanley Dock looks hopeful, but Liverpool Waters beset with problems.

Meanwhile nothing ever changes in north Liverpool

[Pablo Diablo]

Originally Posted by Dingle All The Way

http://thefootballquarter.com/docs/t...erspective.pdf

Here is the full prospectus about the football quarter idea. I like it.

Interesting document and filled with great ideas!


It's a great start but I don't think it goes far enough. The entirety of North Liverpool needs MASSIVE regeneration projects that not only make the areas better for existing residents but pull in new residents and new money. There sadly seems to be an acceptance that the inner city is for "poor people" and this is reflected in the quality of homes and infrastructure built. There doesn't seem to be much desire to plan for and attract wealthy new residents.
I've actually been working on a total fantasy pie-in-the-sky money-no-object plan which I may make a thread on

[Medi73#!]

What exactly are our elected representatives doing for north Liverpool? Decades are passing without any material improvements in this area. I just feel that the area has been forgotten.

[Neilsatiscitycentre]

Originally Posted by Medi73#!

What exactly are our elected representatives doing for north Liverpool? Decades are passing without any material improvements in this area. I just feel that the area has been forgotten.

Nobody cares less. It is a civic disgrace the disparity between the amount of money spent regenerating south Liverpool compared to north Liverpool in the last 15 years or so. It's rather ironic how local politicians are quick to refer a national north/south divide when the north/south divide locally is so glaring obvious.

[Gutterfighter]

If you don't include Edge Lane in South Liverpool then I'm not convinced there has been a huge differential in the amount of public sector cash invested. I guess the airport, Estuary Business Park and South Parkway have had a fair amount but I think the bigger difference is in terms of private sector investment. The focus should clearly be on North Liverpool for the next decade or so.

[jets9]

Originally Posted by Medi73#!

What exactly are our elected representatives doing for north Liverpool? Decades are passing without any material improvements in this area. I just feel that the area has been forgotten.

There is a growing head of steam to do 'something' about North Liverpool and that is absolutely right. 'About time' I can here a lot of people say and that's understandable. Large areas have been held back by a lack of development which was rooted in the Lib Dem policies of the 1980's which brought the slum clearance progrmmes to a screeching halt.

The ensuing hiatus or pause or breathing space has been a two edged sword. Large areas of social cohesion have been left intact, pubs and churches included, while the industrial/commercial decline has continued. Leaving large areas of Walton and Anfield intact has been a major plus (just have a walk through 'New' Salford to see what I mean)

That Lib Dem policy served the city well but has run its course. Let's hope the present generation of planners and officials and politicians have the gumption to do a better job......but there is one thing I know and feel....they start with a better tenplate than the godforsakin windswept tower block alleyways a la Salford/Manchester.

[Medi73#!]

More bars and restaurants up County Road would add vibrancy, especially of an evening. The council owns swathes of redundant brown field sites in inner north Liverpool, why not sell them to developers? I would flog everything down to big grass verges from half of Everton 'park'.

Also, someone, somewhere should be getting their arsed kicked over Project Jennifer.

Boarded up buildings on Scotland Road should be torn down and the road landscaped, there is even still a public convenience there!
How dated and tired the road looks.

[Neilsatiscitycentre]

Originally Posted by Gutterfighter

If you don't include Edge Lane in South Liverpool then I'm not convinced there has been a huge differential in the amount of public sector cash invested. I guess the airport, Estuary Business Park and South Parkway have had a fair amount but I think the bigger difference is in terms of private sector investment. The focus should clearly be on North Liverpool for the next decade or so.

But surely the private investment came in on the back of public/European money that was spent? The lion's share of public/European money seems to have passed north liverpool by.

[Gutterfighter]

Probably true and perhaps there is a larger critical mass of private sector firms In South Liverpool (e.g. in Speke) to work with. That said, with the port, key employment sites off the East Lancs, the football clubs, & project Jennifer etc. there ought to be some good opportunities in the short to medium term. I think there is a danger that we just focus on the challenges in N Liverpool. If Bootle can kick on and grow then that should also help.

[buggedboy]

Originally Posted by Gutterfighter

If you don't include Edge Lane in South Liverpool then I'm not convinced there has been a huge differential in the amount of public sector cash invested. I guess the airport, Estuary Business Park and South Parkway have had a fair amount but I think the bigger difference is in terms of private sector investment. The focus should clearly be on North Liverpool for the next decade or so.

The problem was that South Liverpool was broken, North Liverpool was broken and the city centre was broken. They had to tart somewhere and a citywide focus would have been much slower and failed to generate any momentum. The whole city would be slightly less terrible. The south was targetted as it had the airport, whilst in the last 10 years, rightly or wrongly LCC pinned a lot of its North Liverpool hopes on the football clubs, LFC in particular. The north is getting more of a focus now, which is a good thing, but i can understand why they chose a specific focused approach.

Another historical point was that three separate organisations used to lead on regeneration in Liverpool, across three separate areas. Vision did city centre, another did the south and yet another did the north. As such, there was less chance of a unified approach and the organisations with stronger assets (centre/south) were able to get further ahead.

[Paul D]

Project Jennifer £150m scheme could begin in Spring 2013

WORK could begin on Great Homer Street’s £150m Project Jennifer scheme by next Spring.

Michelle Taylor, regional director for the scheme’s developer St Modwen, said if the project wins approval at a public inquiry this summer, and existing businesses can be relocated through compulsory purchase orders, work could start on-site early next year.

Project Jennifer could create up to 1,000 jobs.

St Modwen today announced strong results for 2011 with pre-tax profits up 34% to £50.4m, despite a fall in revenues at the group from £121.4m in 2010 to £109.6m last year.

The firm has a regional office in Warrington.

Read More http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liver...#ixzz1lhvv8EV8

[McGrath]

Originally Posted by Paul D

Project Jennifer £150m scheme could begin in Spring 2013

WORK could begin on Great Homer Street’s £150m Project Jennifer scheme by next Spring.

Michelle Taylor, regional director for the scheme’s developer St Modwen, said if the project wins approval at a public inquiry this summer, and existing businesses can be relocated through compulsory purchase orders, work could start on-site early next year.

Project Jennifer could create up to 1,000 jobs.

St Modwen today announced strong results for 2011 with pre-tax profits up 34% to £50.4m, despite a fall in revenues at the group from £121.4m in 2010 to £109.6m last year.

The firm has a regional office in Warrington.

Read More http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liver...#ixzz1lhvv8EV8

That small but crucial word, "if". Fingers crossed that the enquiry reaches a positive outcome for north Liverpool.