WHAT a difference a few months makes.
It seems like only yesterday when there was uproar after Liverpool Confidential revealed controversial plans to virtually wipe much-loved Wolstenholme Square off the face of the Earth and replace it with a collection of apartment blocks.
Such was the outcry, the scheme proposed was put on hold. It followed meetings, interventions by the local councillors and hostile reaction on social media.
Now developers say a new £40m scheme to "transform Liverpool’s Wolstenholme Square" has received strong backing from the public at a consultation event earlier this week.
The headline in their communique proclaimed: Green Light from public for Wolstenholme Square Plans.”
The message was clear. "Feedback", said the joyful note, “demonstrated that there was overwhelming support for the plans put forward by Elliot Group, with more than 90 percent of attendees in favour of the opportunity to re-energise the area with residential and commercial space, a new subterranean home for Cream and the possibility of a new performance venue run by collaborators from The Kazimier".
It went on: "The public consultation event was held at Nation on Tuesday and attracted a constant flow of interested attendees who were keen to have their say on the plans and speak to members of the project team.”
Last month, widespread sadness and anger was expressed in Liverpool's cultural ranks when the Kazimier revealed that in light of the same plans it would be leaving Wolstenholme Square at the end of this year.
But that's all changed now.
Commenting on the scheme one (unnamed) attendee’s feedback said: “Excellent regeneration proposal. Exciting times for Wolstenholme Square.” Another assenting voice said the proposal “adds much needed ground floor commercial activity in the daytime whilst retaining cultural institutions”.
The proposal 'adds much needed ground floor commercial activity in the daytime whilst retaining cultural institutions' - Unnamned member of the public
Making it sound a little like the plans that caused outrage, the release added: “The scheme includes in excess of 370 residential units, a move which has been welcomed by leading city estate agent Alan Bevan.
“The proposals for Wolstenholme Square promise to transform this area of Ropewalks into a vibrant, exciting place to live. Ropewalks has seen very little new residential development over the last seven or eight years and yet is extremely popular with both tenants and owner occupiers.
“As we have highlighted for some time there is a huge and growing demand for quality, affordable residential accommodation and the design and location of the scheme will help satisfy this requirement. We expect the apartments to be particularly popular with young professionals, graduates and those tenants wanting to live in a lively, mixed-use development but where the accommodation is affordable and designed to meet their needs.”
Wolstenholme Square at presentThe project, designed by Liverpool architects Falconer Chester Hall, will see the creation of new buildings ranging up to 10 storeys and a new passageway through from Wolstenholme Square to Seel Street to "improve the area’s permeability".
The proposals, says the developers, will combine a mixture of uses with residential, commercial, leisure and retail spaces all contained within five blocks that wrap around three sides of the square and could create hundreds of jobs in the construction phase and in the shops, restaurants and cafes created in the scheme.
The scheme will now be reviewed in light of the feedback from the event before a planning application is submitted. Work could start on site as early as March 2016.
The team behind the Wolstenholme Square plans is led by development company Elliot Group, working in partnership with architects Falconer Chester Hall. The team have a history and track record of delivery and most recently have worked together on the complete refurbishment of the existing buildings and redevelopment of the historic Heap’s Mill Liverpool dockland site which will see the area transformed with residential, leisure, retail and public space.
Wolstenholme Square is one of the few remaining traditional squares in the city centre, seen by some as an oasis away from the lookalike high rise blocks where city dwellers reside.
