Liverpool’s Welsh Streets have been saved from demolition today - with a little help from an unprecedented “friend” - Ringo Starr.
The fate of the Dingle terraces became worldwide news because one of the houses – Number 9 Madryn Street – was the birthplace of the Beatles drummer.
He cited the Fab Four in his decision to throw out plans to wipe the Welsh Streets off the map, even though an independent planning inspector had given the controversial regeneration scheme the thumbs-up.
But the mood music was lost on Mayor Joe Anderson who immediately condemned the decision, describing it as "unacceptable, dishonourable and completely perverse".
Ringo Starr
The frontage of Ringo's house, along with more than 30 of neighbouring two-up, two-down terraced houses in Madryn Street, was destined to remain as part of the scheme, after a public outcry saw plans redrawn. But hundreds more in streets with Welsh names were to be turned into rubble, with new semis built.
But that wasn't good enough, said Pickles, who referred to what would be left of Number 9 as a "stub". He ruled that the demolition of much of Madryn Street would "significantly harm the ability to understand and appreciate this part of Liverpool’s Beatles heritage".
"Although there are many other surviving terraced streets in the area where visitors could go to see a similar environment to the one where Ringo Starr was born, the Secretary of State places importance on the actual street where he was born and he agrees with (campaign group) SAVE that the proposals would be short sighted as regards the future tourism potential of Madryn Street," said the report.
Pickles' judgement came in in a wide ranging, 81-page ruling, here, in which he declared he did not agree with the planning inspector’s opinion that the streets were "of low significance for Liverpool’s heritage".
The scheme had divided opinion, with many residents wanting the clearance scheme to go ahead while others said the houses should be refurbished.
The regeneration plan which was backed, the city council insisted, by 70 percent of residents – meant 271 damp and rundown homes would be demolished and replaced by 154 new houses in a scheme designed by housing group Plus Dane. Another 37 terraced properties, including some of Madryn Street, would have been refurbished.
But Pickles, agreeing with conservationists, described the scheme design as "poor". He went on to condemn it for inefficient use of space with "the focus on the private plot rather than the collective street". He also criticised the new houses themselves saying they would not be much larger than the existing terraces in terms of internal floor space.
An infuriated Mayor Anderson was swift to respond. “This is yet another kick in the teeth for the long-suffering residents of the Welsh Streets, who have now been waiting more than a decade for new homes," he said.
“I was prepared to abide by the decision of an independent inspector even if it had gone against us, but it is unacceptable, dishonourable and completely perverse for Eric Pickles to continue to ignore local leadership, local people and then hold and pay for an independent Public Inquiry using taxpayers money, which he then ignores for naked political posturing.
“Yet again, this Government talks about localism but then interferes in the wishes of local people. It is absolutely appalling and smacks of the very worst type of political interference from Whitehall.
“The residents of the Welsh Streets have already waited far too long for regeneration. They have shown real determination, resilience and fantastic community spirit, to fight for modern, family homes.
“I would like to reassure them that we stand shoulder to shoulder with them in finding a way through this to deliver the new homes that they long for, and deserve. We will be looking straight away at how we can challenge this dreadful decision.”
Nina Edge, spokesman for the Welsh Streets Home Group of residents, described the decision as shocking news and appealed for Liverpool City Council and the Government to find some common ground to "end 11 years of Purgatory".
"We have no way of knowing what will become of us now, or how long rebuilding our area will take," she said in a group statement.
"We call on the authorities to immediately resolve problems for residents in damp homes, and urgently progress with new plans for the Welsh Streets until they are restored or replaced. Our biggest worries are the continuing community stress and antagonism between LCC and central government that this decision creates. We hope all parties will find some common ground and end our 11 year purgatory."
Today's decision follows a public inquiry last summer which looked in detail at plans by the council to compulsorily purchase the last eight of the 311 interests needed to deliver phases one and two of the £15 million scheme.
Three have already been cleared, two are residential properties and three are commercial units. Five are already vacant.
