Joined
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19 Posts
Hiya All,
Though I have read the threads on this site with great interest over the past few months I am new to posting a thread so hope I am doing this right.
I live in Liverpool city centre and renovated a derelict Georgian building on Mount Pleasant which I then ran as a restaurant Heart and Soul and absolutely adore the city.
I love walking the streets looking at the buildings, the scenery, the people ,the ever changing sky and watching the new developments. In my travels round the city I try and keep track of what is going on either through my many friends who are involved in one way or other with redevopment, preservation or culture or through the planning office and sites such as this.
Living in the city, many of these developments impinge directly on my life some in a good way and some bad but until now I have kept my council to myself, not being an expert in these matters and hoping against hope that the planners have some as yet unseen plan that will make everything right.
However, as days go by I realise I am living in a dream world. There is no divine plan, so now I would like to say something and would like to enlist your help.
A number of my friends have been instrumental in the regeneration and rebirth of the Hope Street area as a cultural centre. They have done this on an entirely voluntary basis and in face of opposition from the powers that be who now take the credit for the hard work my friends, ordinary but extraordinarily determined people , put in to transform the area. Though that is galling, my friends and I realise that is the way of the world and had trusted that having been given a good thing, the powers that be would respect that.
Having looked at the plans submitted by Maghull Devlopments for three buildings on Hope Street it seems that no respect is due or acknowleged.
While I understand the rationale behind planning policy which trys to encourage people to live and work in the city centre or visit it I do believe that it is not just appartments, hotels and office and retail space that is required.
As a citizen of the city I can see that 'mixed' developments are not attracting or providing the amenities that I would expect in a major city. I feel short changed. I don't have what I need to live and I can't be the only one. By amenities I don't just mean shops, I also mean access to culture, the arts , music, local initiatives, everything that makes life bearable.
I understand that to encourage developers they need to be able to make a profit and appartments, hotels, retail units and offices probably give the best return but does that make for good planning?
When renovating my Georgian building I was rightly restricted as it is grade two listed and in a conservation area. In order to satisfy those requirements I had to spend much more than I would ordinarily have had to. No one asked me if I had the budget to make that extre effort and I had to make the choice to save that building or walk away and find a more 'profitable' building.
Hope Street has become a cultural centre and I strongly feel that some restrictions should be put in place on further developments within that area over and above how individual buildings are developed. It is the context that those building , within the area that is important. I realise that this may not bring developers the biggest profits but if they choose to develop in an area of character maybe that is the decision they should be asked to make.
Considering Maghull's plans for a 65 room boutique hotel, the redevopment of the former college of art into 40 appartments and retail/office development/ new build on the Josephine Butler site, it strikes me that little account has been taken of how these uses fit in with the ethos of Hope Street.
Hope Street has no need for further accomodation.The surrounding streets prove that. There are far more appropriate sites for yet more appartments. Hope Street does not need offices and retail. Again,there are far more appropriate places for those and in any case there is easy accessibilty already to the same facilities. Appartments, retail and offices are not going to attract people to stay in the proposed boutique hotel.
Hope Street is being feted as a cultural quarter, so in my humble opinion any development should be obliged to acknowledge and encourage that. Hope Street is a model of design so again any new build should be either a fitting icon or follow principles of conservation. Luckily number 58 and 68 are listed but the proposed new build on the Josephine Butler site is neither iconic nor in sympathy with the rest of the street.
So, what do I think should happen? Of course Maghull have to make a profit but should they be allowed to 'plan' an area as important as Hope Street?
Having acquired three substantial plots I feel there should be some obligation to further the aspirations of Hope Street as a cultural quarter. We have the Philharmonic Hall for music, then there are the theatres and cathedrals. There is LIPA to encourage performing arts so, why not look at the former use of number 68, as a college of art and require at least one of the buildings to enourage art. maybe an international gallery or academy. Of course this will not bring the quick and easy profits Maghull would like but there are still profits to be made and maybe that should be the cost of deciding to develop in an area like Hope Street.
Then, there is the Josephine Butler site. Again a quick ,easy build is Magull's understandable aim but surely not at the cost of the rest of the street. I realise that there is little to formally object to given the planning regulations but Hope Street is like a painting that needs retoration. No one would repair a Picasso with red marker pen.
Having said all this I have no idea how to change anything, The planning regulations are as they are and of course Maghull are entitled to rely on them.
So, does anyone have any ideas? Does anyone agree with me. If so, can we make a difference?
I myself am copying this onto the consultation eform on www.liverpool.gov.uk and also emailing [email protected].
I cannot see any way to formally object on the planning website and I doubt anyway that there are any means of objecting in the way I am suggesting.
I would be grateful for advice if someone knows better.
If you do also want to object the planning application numbers are as below:
07F/3278 for 58 Hope Street, Hahneman House L1 9BZ. Conversion to 65 room boutique hotel.
07F/3276 and 07L/3277 for 68 Hope Strett L1 9EB,the former college of art. Conversion to 40 appartments.
07F/3272 for Josephine Butler House, Hope Street/Myrtle Street L1 9B. Demolition/ new build as offices and retail.
Apologies for rambling on. I am just so glad to have found this forum of people who so obviously care about the city I love.
Much love xx
Though I have read the threads on this site with great interest over the past few months I am new to posting a thread so hope I am doing this right.
I live in Liverpool city centre and renovated a derelict Georgian building on Mount Pleasant which I then ran as a restaurant Heart and Soul and absolutely adore the city.
I love walking the streets looking at the buildings, the scenery, the people ,the ever changing sky and watching the new developments. In my travels round the city I try and keep track of what is going on either through my many friends who are involved in one way or other with redevopment, preservation or culture or through the planning office and sites such as this.
Living in the city, many of these developments impinge directly on my life some in a good way and some bad but until now I have kept my council to myself, not being an expert in these matters and hoping against hope that the planners have some as yet unseen plan that will make everything right.
However, as days go by I realise I am living in a dream world. There is no divine plan, so now I would like to say something and would like to enlist your help.
A number of my friends have been instrumental in the regeneration and rebirth of the Hope Street area as a cultural centre. They have done this on an entirely voluntary basis and in face of opposition from the powers that be who now take the credit for the hard work my friends, ordinary but extraordinarily determined people , put in to transform the area. Though that is galling, my friends and I realise that is the way of the world and had trusted that having been given a good thing, the powers that be would respect that.
Having looked at the plans submitted by Maghull Devlopments for three buildings on Hope Street it seems that no respect is due or acknowleged.
While I understand the rationale behind planning policy which trys to encourage people to live and work in the city centre or visit it I do believe that it is not just appartments, hotels and office and retail space that is required.
As a citizen of the city I can see that 'mixed' developments are not attracting or providing the amenities that I would expect in a major city. I feel short changed. I don't have what I need to live and I can't be the only one. By amenities I don't just mean shops, I also mean access to culture, the arts , music, local initiatives, everything that makes life bearable.
I understand that to encourage developers they need to be able to make a profit and appartments, hotels, retail units and offices probably give the best return but does that make for good planning?
When renovating my Georgian building I was rightly restricted as it is grade two listed and in a conservation area. In order to satisfy those requirements I had to spend much more than I would ordinarily have had to. No one asked me if I had the budget to make that extre effort and I had to make the choice to save that building or walk away and find a more 'profitable' building.
Hope Street has become a cultural centre and I strongly feel that some restrictions should be put in place on further developments within that area over and above how individual buildings are developed. It is the context that those building , within the area that is important. I realise that this may not bring developers the biggest profits but if they choose to develop in an area of character maybe that is the decision they should be asked to make.
Considering Maghull's plans for a 65 room boutique hotel, the redevopment of the former college of art into 40 appartments and retail/office development/ new build on the Josephine Butler site, it strikes me that little account has been taken of how these uses fit in with the ethos of Hope Street.
Hope Street has no need for further accomodation.The surrounding streets prove that. There are far more appropriate sites for yet more appartments. Hope Street does not need offices and retail. Again,there are far more appropriate places for those and in any case there is easy accessibilty already to the same facilities. Appartments, retail and offices are not going to attract people to stay in the proposed boutique hotel.
Hope Street is being feted as a cultural quarter, so in my humble opinion any development should be obliged to acknowledge and encourage that. Hope Street is a model of design so again any new build should be either a fitting icon or follow principles of conservation. Luckily number 58 and 68 are listed but the proposed new build on the Josephine Butler site is neither iconic nor in sympathy with the rest of the street.
So, what do I think should happen? Of course Maghull have to make a profit but should they be allowed to 'plan' an area as important as Hope Street?
Having acquired three substantial plots I feel there should be some obligation to further the aspirations of Hope Street as a cultural quarter. We have the Philharmonic Hall for music, then there are the theatres and cathedrals. There is LIPA to encourage performing arts so, why not look at the former use of number 68, as a college of art and require at least one of the buildings to enourage art. maybe an international gallery or academy. Of course this will not bring the quick and easy profits Maghull would like but there are still profits to be made and maybe that should be the cost of deciding to develop in an area like Hope Street.
Then, there is the Josephine Butler site. Again a quick ,easy build is Magull's understandable aim but surely not at the cost of the rest of the street. I realise that there is little to formally object to given the planning regulations but Hope Street is like a painting that needs retoration. No one would repair a Picasso with red marker pen.
Having said all this I have no idea how to change anything, The planning regulations are as they are and of course Maghull are entitled to rely on them.
So, does anyone have any ideas? Does anyone agree with me. If so, can we make a difference?
I myself am copying this onto the consultation eform on www.liverpool.gov.uk and also emailing [email protected].
I cannot see any way to formally object on the planning website and I doubt anyway that there are any means of objecting in the way I am suggesting.
I would be grateful for advice if someone knows better.
If you do also want to object the planning application numbers are as below:
07F/3278 for 58 Hope Street, Hahneman House L1 9BZ. Conversion to 65 room boutique hotel.
07F/3276 and 07L/3277 for 68 Hope Strett L1 9EB,the former college of art. Conversion to 40 appartments.
07F/3272 for Josephine Butler House, Hope Street/Myrtle Street L1 9B. Demolition/ new build as offices and retail.
Apologies for rambling on. I am just so glad to have found this forum of people who so obviously care about the city I love.
Much love xx