THE £200m transformation of a run-down Gillmoss estate has taken its first step, Liverpool City Council has announced. 

Demolition work got under way at the Stonebridge Cross site, off the East Lancs Road. It paves the way for the regeneration scheme which the council hopes will revitalise the area. 

It is envisaged that the Stonebridge Cross scheme will deliver 500 new homes, new retail and commercial development and a new park. 

Plans for the site, which was once occupied by the Gillmoss estate, also include the relocation of St John Bosco School and a new health centre. 

The Stonebridge Cross development forms part of the council’s Housing Delivery Plan for 2012 to 2015, which was launched at the end of last year. The idea is to build 2,000 new homes across the city over the next three years; a major drive to bring empty properties back into use; and the introduction of a mortgage support scheme to help first-time buyers. 

Milestone

The city council hopes to generate a total investment of around £1/2 billion, which, it says, can be achieved by releasing council-owned brownfield sites at no cost, making available a £20 million housing fund and working with private builders and registered providers to deliver new homes. 

The start of the demolition work – managed on behalf of the council by 2020 Liverpool – is, says the council, a major milestone for local residents who have seen a number of proposals for the area fall by the wayside in recent years. 

The Stonebridge Cross Stakeholder Group was set up to drive forward the community-led redevelopment of the site. Following extensive consultation, the preferred option for a comprehensive, mixed-use development was endorsed by the group in March 2010. 

'Determined'

Stonebridge Cross, at 98-acres, is one of the largest council-owned development sites in the city. The plans will be delivered by the council’s “asset-backed vehicle”, called Inliverpool, which sees the council provide the land and private sector partners paying for and delivering the project. 

Council Leader Joe Anderson (above with the gang) said: “We’re absolutely determined to drive forward the regeneration of our communities, and this fantastic development is proof that by working imaginatively with the private sector and local people we can deliver real, significant improvements, despite the difficult economic times.” 

A planning application for the site is expected to be submitted this summer.