PLANNING | Haymarket bus hub heads Liverpool agenda
The Old Haymarket bus hub and the restart of work at Norfolk Street, a residential scheme now owned by Crossfield Exclusive, lead the agenda at Liverpool City Council’s first planning committee of 2019.
The bus hub forms part of the council’s Liverpool City Centre Connectivity scheme, and consultant Amey proposes the remodelling of the 39-space pay & display car park and bays on Old Haymarket, to prove six bus bays in the car park and a further six on Old Haymarket itself – a street that houses several retail businesses and the Travelodge Liverpool Central.
Merseytravel predicts that up to 120 buses per hour will move through the site during the day between 7am and 7pm, with an average lay-over time of approximately five minutes, with less frequent use in the hours before and after. In total, Merseytravel estimate that there will be just under 1,700 bus movements through the hub in each 24-hour period
Several councillors have registered concerns or objections to the scheme, noting both the impact on the retail and leisure businesses in Old Haymarket and the loss of mature trees, although all but one of the area’s 12 mature trees are to be retained. A total of 136 objections have been made by members of the public.
The site has been selected as it is already in public ownership, and is close enough to Queens Square bus station that “dead mileage” will be significantly lower than in alternative sites. The application site sits within the William Brown conservation area, next to the listed Queensway tunnel entrance.
The planning statement prepared by Turley states that “in practice the routeing strategy will mean fewer buses on streets in the historic downtown area and will enable the removal of some existing bus infrastructure on Dale Street, Water Street, North John Street, Castle Street, James Street and Lord Street. This will enable public realm and carriageway reduction improvements on those streets in accordance with the LCCC.”
Tuesday’s planning committee will also consider the proposals for the Baltic House site once proposed by North Point Global Group. Consented in 2015 and stalled with six storeys the highest point reached, the scheme redesigned by Brock Carmichael includes 129 apartments in a part-nine, part-11 storey scheme with 12,600 sq ft of B1 space for creative businesses at ground floor.
There will be 62 one-bedroom flats, 60 two-bed and six three-bed, with a single studio, replacing the previous plan for 117 three-bedroom and 29 studio apartments for students. Indigo is the planner. Officers recommend approval, subject to legal agreements being signed for a contribution of £189,000 plus payment for a parking study.
The third project of scale going before committee is a project designed by local architect Constructive Thinking Studio for Vauxhall Developments. The applicant is seeking detailed consent for a first phase of 69 apartments off Vauxhall Road, with an outline consent lodged for the remainder of what is presently an industrial site. The development is part six and part seven storeys.
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In terms of the Norfolk Street site, how come the Council are demanding a S.106 payment yet waived the S.106 for the Legacie site on Greenland Street, part of which is coincidentally being purchased from the Council?
By Baltic
Because a Local authority can’t covenant with itself, so the usual process is to include any S.106 payments which would normally be payable in the land deal.
By MD
Old Haymarket was a Bus Hub in the 1960’s. Why was it terminated ? Does the current scheme acknowledge and have a solution to that rationale??
By A Murch
Old Haymarket had buses on in the 60s but was never hub, like these plans. The plans aren’t for people to get on and off, just for buses to wait – 1,700 per day, waiting for an average of five mins each in 12 spaces. Impossible to deliver.
By Andy B