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COUNCIL chiefs were urged to think twice before relying on funding from central government and condemning the Welsh Streets to destruction.
Liverpool’s business leaders reluctantly accepted that the public debate over whether to retain the Welsh Streets was over last week when councillors voted to demolish hundreds of historic homes.
But fears were raised yet again earlier this week when it emerged that soaring house prices had led to a dramatic cut in the New Heartlands scheme.
Now, business leaders are urging the council’s executive board to consider what guarantees they have from Downing Street over funding before rubber stamping the plans on Friday.
“We’ve already seen what can happen when Government promises to fund schemes hit rough waters with the Merseytram scheme,” said Frank McKenna, chairman of Downtown Liverpool in Business.
“As everyone warns us the country is heading for an economic downturn, we must ensure the same thing doesn’t happen to the Welsh Streets and beyond.”
Business leaders are already concerned after it emerged the average price of those homes due to be demolished has doubled since plans were drawn up in 2003.
As a result, a massive £66million of the £110million being sought from central government is earmarked to be spent on demolition alone while the number of homes facing the bulldozer has also been cut.
“It’s all very well and good that the Government is promising to help fund this project so that Liverpool gets the new, affordable homes it deserves.
“But what happens if that money dries up, as we have seen in the past. Will communities be uprooted again only for the grand rebuilding to be forgotten about just as it was in the 1960s?”
Note to editors
For more information or to arrange an interview with Frank McKenna, call Chris Marritt at Mason Media on 0151 707 4514 or 07908 214950.
