Caro Developments acquires site of 74-home development in Liverpool that stalled due to the pandemic. Tony McDonough reports
Caro Developments is looking to restart a 74-home development in north Liverpool after work ground to a halt during the pandemic.
Work on Vauxhall Wharf by a company called MV Canal began in 2019 but stalled during the COVID pandemic in 2020. Now Caro has exchanged contracts to acquire the site from the executors of the late owner.
It has submitted an application to the city council to pick up the scheme on Vauxhall Road which had previously secured planning consent. Caro has a conditional deal in place with a housing association to take ownership of the project on completion.
Original plans comprised a four-storey block of 36 flats, another four-storey block comprising 22 flats, and a three-storey block of 16 flats.
Caro has already been involved in a number of residential developments in the city. Managing director Neil Carlyle said: “I’m pleased that we’ll be able to do justice to the development and remove a blight from the local streetscape.
“There are a few issues to tidy up with the city council with regards to the previous owner’s permission, but we’re working proactively with them to resolve these promptly.
“This is a good scheme that will provide much-needed affordable rental properties for local people, just a short stroll from the city centre.
It has an attractive canal frontage and we’ve invested in tidying up the site and making it secure.”
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Local Labour councillor Assen Christov has welcomed the news the scheme may be restarted. He added: “This is good news and I would hope that any remaining issues can be resolved quickly.
“The site is very prominent and my constituents want to see it brought back to use. Housing for local workers is an ideal solution.”