Liverpool City Council’s commitment to new development in doubt as councillors block £50m plan for 194 new homes despite planning officers recommending approval. Tony McDonough reports
A developer has questioned Liverpool’s commitment to new developments after councillors blocked a £50m plan for 194 new homes in defiance of officer recommendations.
Ascot Luxury Living had worked with the city’s council’s planning department for more than two years to ensure its plans for a new apartments complex in the city’s Baltic Triangle district would meet planning requirements.
Located close to the soon to open Baltic Triangle Station, the scheme comprises 96 one-bed and 98 two-bedroom apartments. Residents will have exclusive access to a 4,520 sq ft terrace on the first floor, facing New Bird Street.
Designed by architects at Falconer Chester Hall, the scheme will rise to nine and 10 storeys and will also include six co-working and commercial units on the ground and mezzanine floors.
Planning officers had recommended approval for the project but at Tuesday’s planning committee meeting, councillors did not allow it to pass. Instead they deferred the application and asked both planners and developers to take a fresh look at the plans.
Main sticking point is a viability assessment, independently reviewed, showing that the scheme would not be viable if the council forced the developer to include ‘affordable’ homes. An affordable home is where the rent or sale price is no more than 80% of local market rate.
Terry Riley, chief executive of Ascot Group, said the decision was “very disappointing news” and said he and his team would now have to “reflect on the decision and consider our options”.
He added: “We have worked closely and extensively with Liverpool City Council’s Planning Team over the past 30 months, despite many challenges and changes in the planning process along the way, in order to ensure that this fully compliant scheme was ready for planning approval.
“We are extremely surprised that all the hard work and effort of the council’s planning officers, including their own recommendation to approve, seemed to carry no weight with today’s committee.
“Naturally, we’ll maintain an open and constructive approach, but this will add further time and costs to Ascot Group, and this decision sends negative signals to other developers and investors, at a time when Liverpool City Council are trying to attract inward investment into the city.”
This decision may ring alarm bells among developers and investors who have been assured over the past couple of years that Liverpool is “open for business”.
In particular, it raises questions about the proposed £1bn development close to the waterfront, backed by Home Bargains billionaire Tom Morris, that will include multiple tall buildings, one soaring beyond 60 storeys, and a five-star hotel.