Liverpool bows to pressure on site of future school
Community outrage triggered a rethink of the location of the potential Eden Girls’ Leadership Academy – leading the city council to submit a proposal for a smaller-than-desired plot to the Department for Education.
Liverpool City Council received approval from the DfE for a new school run by Star Academies Multi-Academy Trust in August 2023. The result is the proposed Eden Girls’ Leadership Academy, which will offer 600 student places when at capacity.
Earlier this year, Liverpool City Council unveiled its plans to present the DfE with a four-acre site bordering Upper Parliament Street, Mulgrave Street, and Selborne Street for the building of the school. This site included land that contained and was used by the African Caribbean Centre. The council had said it would work to relocate the centre as part of the plan.
Protesters had voiced their objection to the loss of the community centre at its current location at two council meetings – one in February and the other in March.
The council had argued that it was the only site that met the DfE’s criteria, which called for a plot of between four and six acres that was located within the L7, L8, or L15 postcode. The land is situated within the L8 postcode.
After months of meetings with community stakeholders, the council has now submitted a location proposal for the school that excludes the land utilised by the community centre, even though this takes the site below the four-acre DfE limit.
The original proposed site is outlined in red, with a blue outline, added by Place, around the plot that has since been removed. Credit: via Liverpool City Council report
“The acreage of the land made available is less than the preferred four acres; however, the proposal submitted, which has the support of Star Academies Multi-Academy Trust, contains a realistic feasibility layout for the school showing that it can be accommodated on the site,” said a city council spokesperson regarding the proposal.
“Efficient space planning has enabled a layout that meets the DfE space standards for the classrooms, sports block, and hard and soft play areas, and it is compliant with the DfE’s guidance for school sites.”
There are still several hurdles to jump before the school becomes a reality, including the DfE’s approval of the proposed site and a series of community consultations on the plans for the building. The school has a target completion of August 2028.
Cllr Lucille Harvey of Princes Park ward, the area in Liverpool earmarked for the school, praised the change in plans for the academic institution.
“I’m pleased that this project has reached a stage where we can move forward positively,” she said
“I appreciate that the council has listened to the trustees of the African Caribbean Centre and responded to their concerns,” she continued.
“The centre has been at the heart of the L8 community for decades, and its place in people’s lives should not be underestimated, so it is great news that it will retain its current site…
“We know that our communities are strongest when they work together. A new school and a thriving community centre will bring real benefits to the L8 community for many years to come.”
