Council revisits Welsh Streets
Liverpool City Council has started consultation on the latest plans for the controversial Welsh Streets in Toxteth where Ringo Starr once lived and which were scheduled for demolition under Housing Market Renewal Initiative.
Public drop-in events will be held at Toxteth Town Hall in September where residents will be given the chance to see the £15m draft proposals.
The scheme designed by Triangle Architects will be delivered by the city council and housing association Plus Dane. It includes the delivery of over 150 new homes for rent and sale. The plans envisage keeping 32 terraced properties – 16 in Madryn Street and 16 in Kelvin Grove. Liverpool City Council will launch a pilot scheme in September to give the local community working in partnership with a lead organisation the opportunity to take over and refurbish the 16 Madryn Street properties which had previously been earmarked for demolition, including 9 Madryn Street, the childhood home of Ringo Starr.
Cllr Ann O'Byrne, member for housing, said: "We have been working closely with the community for many years on these plans, and we want to make sure local people continue to be at the heart of the decision-making process as we reach this final consultation stage.
"We are really excited about these proposals, because we believe they will revitalise the Welsh Streets. They are focused on delivering the type of homes that people have consistently told us they want to live in, houses with gardens and driveways in a vibrant, attractive neighbourhood.
"We continue to refurbish properties wherever possible, but some demolition is necessary if we want to create a better balance of housing in the area. Everything we are doing is aimed at building a brighter future for the area, so we hope local residents will get on-board, have their say and support these plans."
The plans for the Welsh Streets form part of the ten-year housing renewal programme in the Princes Park neighbourhood announced in 2005. There are 2,500 properties within the renewal area and over 80% of the existing properties are to be retained.
Following the consultation, a final planning application will be submitted.
I think you just need to look at the quality of the houses being knocked down and compare to what is being built in their place! NO contest in regard to standing the test of time. Look at Kensington and what they have done to that. Hideous! The Bellway homes and Lovell homes look awful compared to the terraces. Its so sad to see what could be done as to what is being done!
By Mary Smiley
Some of the new builds are good, some less so. The Kensington Fields houses are brilliant. The corner buildings in those proposals above look similar.
By MrD
I live five minutes from the Welsh Streets, while some of the houses being knocked down are of good quality, many are the worse type of terraces not suited to modern living. An awful lot of people protesting of how they ‘look’ haven’t, like me, had to live in them. Middle class people who think old terraced streets look ‘neat’ but don’t think about lack of space, gardens, car parking or problems with damp and heat retention.
By KT