Anfield regeneration plans revealed

Published by 24publishing for 24dash.com in Housing and also in Central Government, Communities, Local Government

Plans to breathe new life into housing in Anfield in Liverpool are taking shape, with the announcement that over 370 properties previously earmarked for demolition are to be saved.

Agreement has been reached between Liverpool City Council, residents and partners to retain and refurbish the properties as part of the £25 million ‘Anfield Village’ plans.

The programme of work, delivered by the city council, the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and housing association Your Housing, aims to drive up the quality of housing in the area and create a revitalised community where people want to live.

Under the plans - which are based upon factors such as housing demand and the condition of properties -  a total of 374 homes, 168 of which are vacant, will now be retained and refurbished. A further 224 houses, 116 of which are vacant, will be demolished.

The move, says the council, follows several months of consultation with residents.

It says that all local residents affected by the plans have been consulted, with the vast majority of those who responded being in favour.

In the demolition areas, the council said it had received approval rates from residents of between 72 per cent and 88 per cent.

It added that the proposals to retain and refurbish 374 properties received the support of 72 per cent of residents who responded.

Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, said: “This is great news for Anfield and marks a major milestone for this important scheme. Residents have waited too long for this work to happen, and have been rightly concerned and frustrated. I’m delighted that we are now working effectively with our partners to drive forward these plans and build a better future for the area.

“I have pledged to build 5,000 homes in Liverpool over the next four years, and I’ve also made it a priority for the city to refurbish more homes than we demolish. Although some demolition is still necessary as part of these plans, this is a good example of how we are listening to local people and working with them to bring homes back into use.

“It’s really important that the community is on-board with these plans, so I’m delighted that these plans have received such a high level of backing from residents. We can now press on with delivering these vital housing improvements over the coming weeks and months to create a new Anfield where people are proud to live.”

The Anfield Village plans involve around 600 properties which lie in the former phases 6 and 7 of the Anfield Breckfield HMRI Area. The properties fall within the boundary of Back Rockfield Road, Walton Breck Road, Sleepers Hill and Gilman Street.

Letters are being sent to all local residents today to inform them of the plans, with the numbers of properties to be retained and demolished now subject to final approval by the Mayor’s Cabinet.

Cabinet Member for Housing and Community Safety, Councillor Ann O’Byrne, said: “Since we announced our initial proposals for Anfield Village in March, we’ve been working with residents to develop plans which meet their needs and fulfil our ambitions to create a vibrant, attractive neighbourhood with modern, affordable homes.

“I’m delighted that this work is now paying off and we’ve quickly been able to reach a point where we have the backing of the community and are able to push ahead with the plans. It ends years of doubt for local people who have been left in limbo since the scrapping of the HMRI programme.

“I’m confident the programme of improvements we’ve worked up – with a good balance of refurbishment and demolition – will revitalise housing in Anfield. I can’t wait for it to get started.”

The city successfully secured £13.5 million from the Government’s Empty Homes grant last month, and around £10 million of this funding has been earmarked for the Anfield Village scheme. The remainder of the funding for the scheme will be provided by the city council, Homes and Communities Agency and Your Housing.

The majority of the properties in the area are small terraces with access straight from the pavement, no back gardens and in poor condition. Partners have agreed that the properties and surrounding environment will have to be significantly altered, in order to be attractive to new and existing residents.

Refurbishment work begins in earnest this summer, with further details on the work to be released in the coming weeks. Plans include the upgrading of the front of the properties, improvements to paving and street furniture, environmental improvements and the creation of space for gardens through demolition.

Further plans include creating larger houses for families by knocking two-into-one, with pilot schemes in Saker Street and Gurnall Street getting underway in August.