THE ongoing battle of Liverpool’s Welsh Streets is to continue after the city council lodged an appeal over the government’s refusal to allow the demolition of hundreds of terraced homes.

Campaigners fought for more than 400 homes in Toxteth, all in streets with Welsh names, to be spared the bulldozer.

The only survivor’s of the council plan will be one side of Madryn Street, including the facade of Number 9, where ex-Beatle Ringo Starr was born.

A public inquiry was held last summer with the independent inspector recommending the go-ahead for the council’s demolition plan.

But last month Communities and Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles, to the delight of campaigners,  refused to sanction the demolition.

Welsh Sts

Today, deadline day for any challenge, the city council announced it had appealed against the decision by Eric Pickles, but campaigners said they were weary and described the delays as "endless posturing by the powers that be".

A council spokesman explained: "There are two challenges – one against the refusal of planning permission brought under s288 of the town and Country Planning Act 1990 and is best called a 'statutory challenge'. The second is a judicial review of the refusal to confirm the CPO."

The city council contends that 70pc of local people back its £15m regeneration plan which would mean 271 ‘damp and run down’ homes demolished and replaced by 154 new houses.

Assistant Mayor and Cabinet member for Housing Councillor Ann O’Byrne said: “We are not prepared to stand by and see Eric Pickles ignore local people and his own independent planning inspector.

“The long-suffering residents of the Welsh Streets have now been waiting more than a decade for new homes and we are standing up against this unacceptable political interference from Whitehall and challenging the decision. This scheme was carefully developed and supported by the vast majority of local people in a thorough and detailed consultation.”

The scheme was approved by the council’s planning committee in August 2013 but called in for public inquiry by the Secretary of State.

Campaigners SAVE now have 19 days to respond to the points the council is raising in its challenge. 

The new battle lines are being drawn just 48 hours before the most important day in the Welsh calendar – St David’s Day.

Spokesperson for the Welsh Streets Home Group Nina Edge said: 

" We want to see at least some public money spent on sorting out the terrible mess we are left with after endless posturing from the powers that be. Eleven years ago this very week, Welsh Streets residents were promised housing and area improvements, and so far all we have seen is a trail of destruction."
 
She added: "Peace of mind and community relations have been destroyed, houses have been left in ruins and Liverpool's reputation has been battered. It's all cost a lot of money, and the Welsh Streets Home Group would like to see some of it spent on design and build instead of on more barristers and clerks. 
 
"Plus Dane are keen to tell everyone how 70pc of the local population approve of their proposal but the fact is we were only offered one option so we could only choose one option.
 
"But when you expand the offer to include more retained houses, community spaces and shops over 90pc of people from L8 wanted to see more existing homes retained and to see shops retained and community spaces."
 
She went on: "Respected architects have shown that at least another street, and half of our big trees could have been spared  with no loss in the number of  new houses on the site The dominant figures on the issue do not want that to happen so that appears to be that.
 
"We just want to know can expect some action to remedy our area,  when people can get out of their damp houses into new houses, and when we can see the 40 retained houses repaired.
 
"It seems the council are more concerned with looking like they have won than in engaging with the full breadth of interest in the neighbourhood and in the well being of the residents. We need to see some results now. "