Work on Redrow’s controversial Holly Lodge development is set to begin as early as Easter.
The developers obtained planning permission to build 51 new homes and nine refurbished properties on the site in West Derby.
However, the plans were met with criticism from the West Derby Society and local historians who say that one of the buildings – Holly Lodge House – should be saved.
Two properties on the site, Sandheys and Fremont, are Grade II listed and will be converted into new homes that retain original features, alongside the 51 new homes being built on the site. A historic pond will also be retained as well as a number of mature trees.
The group campaigned to get Holly Lodge listed however, an inspection English Heritage concluded it had been too heavily modernised and had lost too many original features to be considered historically significant.
The new development forms part of the Liverpool Housing Partnership between Redrow, Liverpool City Council and Liverpool Mutual Homes and will be the third Redrow scheme to be approved.
Local historian and chairman of the West Derby Society, Stephen Guy said he felt the development is a “poor show” from the developers.
He said: “We think this is a very poor show from Redrow. On the whole, we think a lot of their plans are great and the West Derby Society supports them.
“However there’s two flies in the ointment – the first one is the access, because the only entrance will be on Mill Lane and it’s already a notorious bottle neck. If there’s 60 homes built there, many houses now a days have two or even three cars. That’s a lot of extra traffic and we’re concerned that this could cause a risk if there’s a fire.
“Secondly, Holly Lodge is a historic building and we feel it should be saved. There’s hundreds of woman all around the world that went to that school that have memories of it and a huge number of them have been in touch with the West Derby society to say what a shame it would be if the building was knocked down.
“We’ve not lost hope yet – and we think it would be a real feather in the cap for Redrow if they can demonstrate that they do in fact care about public opinion and change their minds on knocking down Holly Lodge House.”
Cabinet member for housing, Councillor Frank Hont , said: “This is an innovative scheme, with the sale of the land for these much-needed new homes helping fund the fantastic new Holly Lodge Girls’ College.
“I am pleased that the partnership has been able to retain and improve the listed buildings on the site to protect them for future generations.”
What are your thoughts on the plans? Let us know in the comments section
Open all references in tabs: [1 – 6]