 |
 |
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
 |
COUNCIL planners should stop wasting public money fighting appeals from developers and encourage the developments which are right for the city, business leaders urged today.
Liverpool City Council has lost a number of high-profile planning cases in recent months, with schemes by Iliad, Redrow Homes, Caldway Homes and Comfy Quilts all given the go-ahead at appeal.
Speaking a week before Maro Developments appeals over its £100million scheme – controversially rejected by planners last year – business leaders have urged the council to be more careful with taxpayers’ money.
“It is high time that the council planners began taking a more realistic approach to high profile schemes which are good for the city,” said Frank McKenna, chairman of private sector champion Downtown Liverpool in Business (DLIB).
“Not only does fighting and losing these appeals waste public funds, but they delay quality and attractive regeneration projects unnecessarily.
“Nobody wants schemes to be given approval without consideration, but fighting and losing so often can only be a bad thing for the city’s accounts, and its image to the outside world.”
Discounting Iliad’s appeal win, the other examples were all a result of the council’s rigid interpretation of the Government’s Housing Market Renewal Initiative (HMRI) guidelines, claimed DLIB.
Mr McKenna claimed the guidelines were only that, and could not be applied rigidly in every newheartlands area nationwide to which they apply.
In the case of Liverpool, he added, there was no justification for the council to be so strict in its interpretation of these guides, especially when it was costing the city dear.
Furthermore, in Maro’s case, the two principal reasons for rejecting the application a year ago – to protect businesses located on the site and to fit in with a future tall buildings policy – no longer apply.
“With all of the businesses on site having already left or been given notice to leave the site, and with new council leader Warren Bradley ruling out any tall buildings policy for Liverpool, there’s now no reason to oppose the Maro scheme,” argued Mr McKenna.
“Not only should the council stop spending money fighting their appeal, but they should pay more attention to the schemes it chooses to reject.
“If they don’t, the message to investors is loud and clear – spend your money somewhere else.”
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.
