THE LAST hurdle that could have blocked plans to develop Liverpool’s Lime Street has been cleared when the government announced it would not call in the £35m scheme for further scrutiny.
I understand the feeling about the Futurist, a building as close to my heart as I know it is to many others.
It means the controversial plan that will see the demolition of the old Futurist cinema facade will now go ahead as planned.
The city council’s planning committee approved the scheme by Neptune Developments earlier this month to redevelop the east side of Lime Street.
It involves radically redesigned buildings, with a hotel, shops, restaurants and student accommodation to be followed by an entertainment and media hub in the restored ABC cinema on the opposite side of Lime Street.
The council said it had not proved possible to save the facade of the Futurist within the new scheme because of its poor structural condition. It opened in 1912 and closed in 1982, and over the last 33 years its condition is said to have deteriorated.
But the fate of the Futurist led some heritage groups to call on the government to hold a public inquiry into the plans. The council said this was despite support from the Neptune plans by Save The Futurist Campaigners.
The FuturistThe city council has now been told that Greg Clark, Secretary for State for Communities and Local Government, will not call in the decision.
Mayor Joe Anderson welcomed the decision. He said, “I am glad that DCLG have recognised that this sort of decision is better made locally where there is a knowledge and understanding of the area.
“Lime Street is a key gateway route in the city centre but it is in desperate need of investment and upgrading. The current scheme went through a very rigorous evaluation before being determined.
“Of course, I understand the feeling about the Futurist, a building as close to my heart as I know it is to many others. Considerable efforts were made to save it, including commissioning two surveyors’ reports, both of which concluded that its condition was so poor that there was simply no way it could be salvaged.
“There comes a point when you have to accept the inevitable and move forward and the Government’s decision allows us to do that.
“We want to get on with allowing the developers to invest in their vision and bring Lime Street up to a much higher standard than it has been for decades and one that is fitting for a major entry point into the city centre.”
Steve Parry, managing director of Neptune Developments commented: “We are pleased the government have respected a local decision made by people who know and understand the issues and the area. Lime Street urgently needs this project to happen and we have the investors and end-users primed and ready to go.
“The loss of the Futurist is regrettable but committed, local campaigners understand that the building had simply got to a point where restoration was impossible. It’s been frustrating to have London-based interest groups trying to derail the project, not least because we have demonstrated our commitment to conservation through the energy and ingenuity that we have invested in plans for the restoration of the landmark ABC cinema.
“This project and this building would have been jeopardised had this application been called in and development stalled for up to two years. This is a great result for Lime Street and Liverpool.”
