Liverpool takes ownership of eyesores on Ducie Street
West Tree Estates has relinquished long-vacant properties on two streets in the Granby area of Toxteth, paving the way for the city council to redevelop the area.
The agreement follows several months of negotiation of the two parties, with Liverpool City Council keen to ensure the problematic properties on Ducie Street and Jermyn Street come back into its ownership.
The homes had been granted to West Tree Estates at a nil value by the city council in 2017. West Tree secured planning permission to build 80 apartments on Ducie Street, but never started work on site.
Now that the city council owns the properties once more, it will be erecting hoardings to secure the site and reduce anti-social behaviour. The local authority would also remove a diseased tree and clear fly-tipping.
Prior to future development, the city council will engage with local residents and community groups to ensure a future affordable housing development with public realm suits their needs. Liverpool City Council added that the shift in ownership will unlock development potential for land at Rosebery Street, as well as securing the future of 143 Granby Street.
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In a joint statement, the two groups said: “Liverpool City Council and West Tree Estates Limited are pleased to report that after lengthy negotiations they have resolved all of their outstanding disputes relating to various properties in the L8 area.
“The terms of settlement remain confidential to the parties but include the withdrawal of the forfeiture notices served by Liverpool City Council and the voluntary formal surrender of various leases by West Tree Estates Limited to Liverpool City Council. This agreement is in full and final settlement of all claims between the parties.
“West Tree Estates Limited wishes the local community well for the future.”
This is great news as this once beautiful street, lined with trees, deserves to restored to somewhere near its former glory.
In fact some of the newer housing in that area is very poor design and quality compared to what Ducie St was and serious thought needs to be given in future about the quality of any housing built there.
By Anonymous
It would be fascinating to find out what the Council have paid to buy these back, after selling them for a £1 previously. It is scandalous what has occurred here which has resulted in the properties sitting empty/derelict for 8 years in deprived area of the city.
By Anonymous
Confidential agreement? Sounds like the taxpayer have been taken for a ride once again. Developer gets the properties for nil value, then sits on them until LCC pays to take them back. Madness
By RP
Beautiful homes like that need to be saved,that brick is gorgeous.
By Anonymous
They are terrific double fronted homes.. anywhere else they would be prized.. putting up new apartment blocks and not saving the fronts and the avenue would be a mistake.. the people locally ruined them, the people who originally lived in them were poorer and more deprived and appreciated them.. there’s no need to destroy to supply the ungrateful.
By Anonymous
The de-liverpool-ing of Liverpool continues .. it’s been allowed to let these rot.. because it erases the original history.. and it’s not a positive for the city or the country. The centres of major cities have been allowed to be become backwaters of new development that doesn’t increase the first world ambitions of the country
By Anonymous
Demolish and build Cheap Generic Student Flats
By John Lynn
We need more bungalow ‘s but they should be built in a Victorian style
By M Woolley
Sort the beautiful church older than the liver building on Princess Avenue it looks appalling
By Anonymous
Be great to do a Welsh Streets style development here.
By Rye
These houses must be restored and the project overseen by people who understand aesthetics and the urban environment.
This should not be left in the hands of the locals who have largely shown in the past that all they understand is suburban semis and bungalows right in the middle of town.
You only have to look at the Park Lane council estate, or the houses in the Fontenoy St area, to see how they have ruined the atmosphere and look of a major city.
By Anonymous
Google Maps show these Houses ruined in 2008! And even then, it looks like they’d been out of us for years! Madness it’s taken (probably) more than two decades to sort out.
By Sam
Council need to remember the local community aren’t urban planners. Do not make the same mistakes of the past.
By Anonymous
A solid base to start from – they could really look great with right approach
By Anonymous
I agree with all comments – I pass these houses at least once a week and they are beautiful, good solid family homes! If the Council have had to pay out twice – surely they could recoup some of the money they keep frittering and develop these into homes once again and sell to first time buyers or let a decent social landlord take them on? Please don’t sell them for £1 to someone without the proper checks who are secretly a landlord, has a home abroad or their partner is a builder and they are developing for a profit – let the people who genuinely need them have them!
By Lizzy Baggot
Lets hope LCC does the right thing and restores this street back to its former glory for local owner occupier families.
By GetItBuilt!
@Rye – perhaps a Granby / Assemble style of regeneration / development would be more appropriate here rather than the Welsh Streets (gentrification), which looks very lovely and has been successful in saving houses previously earmarked for demolition, but ultimately prioritise the filling of their pockets over the residents that were promised a very attractive style of living / renting.
By Anonymous
The scheme that got consent wasn’t actually bad but you can’t steamroll a community like that. They had legitimate questions about the developer’s intentions that weren’t answered. What’s left of the structures could be re-used, or a carefully thought out modern scheme could replace them. Should be up to the residents – whatever happens though, get on with it!
By Anonymous
Can’t help looking at that photo image with hope and despair. Despair that such architectural gems should fall into a state of dereliction, but hope that they will be resurrected and provide quality homes for both locals or any incomers who wish to live in this great city.
By Anonymous