Legacie Developments wants to build 500 new apartments on land at Greenland Street in what has become Liverpool’s most vibrant cultural and creative district. Tony McDonough reports
Opposition to an £80m residential scheme in the Baltic Triangle is growing after it was revealed Liverpool City Council may exempt the developer from having to pay £1.4m towards improving nearby open space.
A proposal by Legacie Developments to construct 500 new apartments on land at Greenland Street, in buildings between eight and 18 storeys high, comes before the council’s planning committee for approval on Tuesday, August 28.
There was considerable anger in July when it was revealed the development would see the closure of the popular Constellations entertainment venue, one of the most popular outlets in an area which has become a cultural and creative hub in the city.
Baltic Triangle Area CIC chairperson Liam Kelly claimed Liverpool’s current development strategy was putting at risk any chance of a “long-term, sustainable vision”.
Green space
Local Labour councillor, Steve Munby is also against the development. He says it will mean the disappearance of green space and make it impossible to re-open St James Station, a transport connection which many believe could be transformational for the Baltic. He also adds the Legacie scheme includes no social housing.
And he also describes as “shocking” a recommendation from the planning report to waive just over £1.4m that would be due from the developer in what are called Section 106 payments that would go towards improving highways and public realm.
Cllr Munby said: “The grounds for waiving it are that the developer is proposing public green space work in the scheme costing this much. This is contained in one para of the report, with no description or costing of the work. It has been signed off by planning officers in less than six weeks, with no input from environmental officers.”
If the waiver is approved Legacie will only have to pay just over £110,000.
Mr Kelly also spoke out against waiving the fee, telling the Liverpool Echo: “This decision is made more shocking in a time where the city council is facing a 60% reduction in its operational budget.”
Job creation
However, in statement to the paper, Legacie, which also has a number of other developments in the city centre, has rejected the criticism from Cllr Munby and insists its scheme would not prevent the re-opening of St James Station.
Its statement added: “He (Cllr Munby) should also know that S106 is only collected if a scheme cannot provide public open space – ours comes with a significant open space which will enhance the area with brand new leisure facilities.”
And it went on to say: “The risk to Liverpool’s future economic prosperity, job creation and the city’s capacity to attract future investment like this is very clear if Cllr Munby manages to block this development.
“This project is about bettering Liverpool, it is about creating premium and affordable housing, it is about creating hundreds of jobs, it is about securing the Baltic’s future including a public plaza for everyone to enjoy.”
When it was first revealed in July that the scheme would mean the closure of Constellations, owners Rebecca Wild and Nicholas Baskerville vowed to open a replacement outlet elsewhere in the Baltic area.