A MASTERPLAN to take a large slice of the showpiece Harthill/Calderstone’s Park estate for luxury housing has been unveiled.
And just as the Sefton Park Meadows was rebranded, in the council sell-off, as "incidental land off Park Avenue", this new Redrow land grab is described as “several parcels of land off Harthill Road”.
You would have a difficult job convincing Friends of Harthill and Calderstones Park that the site of 51 new homes isn't a huge slice of the park estate. The Friends have been campaigning for months against the proposals.
Rosemary Brice, chair of the Friends of Harthill & Calderstones Park, said: “Ever since 1914, when the Harthill Estate was purchased by Liverpool Corporation to join with the Calderstones Estate, they have been recognised as being one unit and as being one facility for local people. This land is much loved by local people and indeed by the people from all over the city who use it”.
The Redrow communique, announcing the plans, says it will facilitate the relocation of local community organisations into “better premises and allow money to be invested in the neighbouring Calderstones Park”.
It adds: "Beechley Riding Stables – part of the Riding for the Disabled Association - will receive help to relocate and develop new, improved facilities at Clarke Gardens, in Allerton; CalderKids Adventure Playground will be able to fulfil relocation plans to much better facilities; and the miniature railway, operated for over 75 years by Merseyside Live Steam and Model Engineers Club, will move into the main body of the park, “where it can be better developed as a popular family attraction”.
The existing allotments, the park’s woodland riding trail and the existing scout hut would not be impacted by the proposals.
The masterplan
The idea is that money raised by the council from the sale of the land will support off-site affordable housing and Section 106 payments, linked to the application, will create a fund for improvements within Calderstones Park itself, such as financial support for the relocation of the Neolithic Calder Stones, as part of the Reader Organisation’s proposal to enhance the Mansion House, and new display facility for the stones.
I don’t think the Mayor or the city council have the right to take away something that belongs to all of the citizens
Under the plans submitted to Liverpool City Council, the currently vacant Grade II listed Beechley House will be restored and brought back into use, standing alongside high quality housing from Redrow’s Arts & Crafts inspired Heritage Collection.
“The land in question is not currently accessible to the public and has a variety of uses, including the Harthill Road council maintenance depot,” say the developers.
Local resident Richard Breed, who with his wife, Katie, has applied for village green status for part of the site said: “Calderstones Park is the jewel in Liverpool’s crown. Ordnance Survey maps show part of the land earmarked for development is within Calderstones. The depot land was actually the site of the old greenhouses that were part of the park.
“I see this as a covert way of taking parkland off the people. I don’t think the Mayor or the city council have the right to take away something that belongs to all of the citizens. My big worry is that once they start nibbling away at bits of our parks where will it all end.
“For the sake of a small number of houses that the majority of people in Liverpool would never be able to afford in any case, selling this beautiful piece of land just isn’t worth it. Once it is built on, it will be lost forever."
Cllr Richard Kemp said: "We are hopeful the village green application will succeed. the time it will take to arrange a public inquiry will give us time to mount a community campaign against this proposal by Redrow. If the city is to achieve its aim of growing the population to 550,000 the last thing we shopuld be doing is selling our parklands."
The proposal is being brought forward by Redrow Homes under the umbrella of the Liverpool Housing Partnership, a collaboration between Redrow, the City Council and Liverpool Mutual Homes, designed to deliver 1,500 new homes over a five-year period.
With existing occupants relocated to better facilities, in their place Redrow is proposing 35 high quality detached family homes, plus refurbishment of the Grade II listed Beechley House former care home into six apartments and two duplex units, with its summerhouse converted to one self-contained property. The stables would be converted into three mews properties and there would be four new-build mews adjacent to Beechley House.
Faye Whiteoak, Redrow’s development director for Liverpool, said: “The whole masterplan has been very carefully thought out, with the greatest care and attention given to how the setting of the Grade II listed Beechley House can best be respected. We have worked hard to make sure the house designs and layout respect the adjoining park. We have also incorporated managed amenity space into the development.”
Cllr Frank Hont, Liverpool City Council cabinet member for housing, said: “This land has all been in private use for many years. Through the Partnership, the Council has been working closely with the site’s existing occupants to bring forward a scheme that will greatly improve their facilities, whilst at the same time freeing up almost 13 acres of land to create 51 high quality new homes that are sympathetic to the adjoining parkland surroundings.”
