IRATE residents from the Hope Street area hurtled insults and expletives at members of the city council's planning committee this afternoon after councillors give the thumbs up to plans for more than 600 student flats.
“Shambles” one angry man shouted accusing councillors of 's******* on local people'.
“Have you been to Bath or other Georgian cities?” yelled another, referring to the way other places treat their historic areas.
The tirade came as two big student flat schemes were approved by the committee after councillors toured the area to see the development sites for themselves.
Maghull Developments and Student Castle Ltd won approval for a multi-million pound scheme on the site of the controversially demolished Josephine Butler House, at the corner of Hope Street and Myrtle Street, rising up to 10 storeys high.
A row of London Plane trees to go the same way as Josephine Butler House
The scheme will see around 340 student bedrooms and studio flats built around a public realm area. It will mean the axing of a row of London Plane trees in Hope Street and ground floor of shops, cafes and restaurants.
In addition, Marcus Worthington Properties won approval for a scheme to redevelop Philharmonic Court between Catharine Street and Caledonia Street.
Georgian terraces in Catharine Street, currently student flats owned by Liverpool University, will once again become private residences. But at the back of these, the existing blocks of flats will be replaced by 354 student bedrooms in a development of three, four or five storey buildings.
The Maghull scheme was opposed by the Government's cultural agency, English Heritage, as well as the Rodney Street Association and local residents, including city councillor Janet Kent who lives in the area.
Rodney Street Association Chairman Dr Emlyn Williams had already written to the committee expressing concern and disbelief at the scheme, in what he called one of the city's most important heritage areas, its Georgian Quarter. Describing the plans as a monstrous development, he said it had an appearance more in keeping with post-war Bucharest or Minsk rather than Liverpool's Hope Street.
'More in keeping with post-war Bucharest or Minsk'
English Heritage said it could not support the development. The agency said it feared the scale of the scheme would create a dominant in the view between the two cathedrals.
Cllr Kent, speaking as a local resident, described the Maghull plans as a “bleak barrack”, with no redeeming features or a wow factor. She also criticised the lack of consultation among local residents about both schemes.
However, Planning Officer Peter Jones said he believed the project would help animate the Hope Street/Myrtle Street area. He said the planning team took a different view of the development to English Heritage. Just one councillor on the committee, Lib Dem Pat Maloney, voted against giving permission.
Residents objecting to the nearby Philharmonic Court scheme criticised the poor quality of the proposed buildings.
Local councillor Anna Rothery was critical of the Philharmonic Court plan also, saying it lacked imagination.
She said: “If this street was in any other city it would be coveted.” and she warned against the 'ghettoisation' of the area.
Cllr Rothery urged the committee to 'take a hard long look at the plan, and reconsider before setting what would be a standard.
