THE woodland in Woolton village at the heart of a battle over a new school was sold – not given for free – to Liverpool City Council, it was revealed today.
Ahead of a weekend visit to Woolton Woods by the family of the late Colonel Sir James Reynolds, the city council issued a statement saying the council paid £10,000 to Sir James, equivalent to £390,000 at today’s prices – for Woolton Woods.
Lady Charlotte Reynolds, grand-daughter-in-law of Sir James, will be arriving in Woolton on Sunday to unveil a plaque in the woods to mark the birth, 150 years ago this month, of the war hero and philanthropist.
The plaque to be unveiled on Sunday
In a statement the city council said: “We are delighted that Lady Charlotte Reynolds is unveiling a plaque to honour Colonel Sir James Reynolds. He sold the land to the council in the 1920s for £10,000, equivalent to around £390,000 today.
“We are acutely aware of the woodland's valuable history, which is why we are proposing to grow and augment the woods as a result of the new St Julie's Catholic High School development with additional land.
“The school's trustees have kindly agreed to open up large areas of previously unused woodland which will be made available to the public for the very first time. This sensible compromise will enable us to meet the needs of 1,000 young people and their families in Woolton, with new education facilities suitable for modern generations, and more accessible green space in Woolton Woods than there is now.”
The Colonel
The city is in possession of the deeds of the land gift and the price paid, and has had legal experts to study the terms of the deed.
Plans have been published to use an area of the woodland, around five percent, to enable a replacement school for St Julie’s to be built. In return a much large area of open space currently within the school grounds, will be opened for public use, essentially extending the area of woodland.
Campaigners in Woolton have been waging a vigorous campaign, supported by local resident and former Brookside actor Simon O’Brien, to try to halt the loss of any of Woolton Woods.
Sir James gifted the land for the use of the public "for generations to come" and the campaigners will continue to argue that his wish was for the land to remain forever as open space.
The council has got it wrong, says camapigner
This land, which is at the centre of the plans, was the land gifted to the city by Col Reynolds, says camapigner against the scheme, Sue Carmichael
ARCHITECT Sue Carmichael, one of the Woolton Woods campaigners against the new St Julie's school, said the city council has got it wrong.
"Records from the council's own minutes show that Colonel Reynolds specifically gifted, without payment, the 10 or 11 acres of Woolton Woods facing the High Street. The rest of the Woolton Woods estate of more than 40 acres was sold to the corporation for £10,000.
"It is clear that Col Reynolds bought Woolton Woods for £12,000 from Mr Holbrook Gaskell and by gifting the 10/11 acres in front of the High Street as a donation to the city, and selling the remainder of the 52 acre estate for £10,000 he was actually £2,000 out of pocket.
"As well as being properly minuted in the council records of 1917, it was widely reported in the Liverpool Daily Post at the time.
"The council should study the records and amend their statement accordingly to reflect that the area of land we are concerned with was specifically donated, free of charge, by Col Reynolds for the recreational benefit of the people of the city."
