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Pickles urged to fast-track Liverpool Welsh Street regeneration

The Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, has called for a local decision to be made on the £15m Welsh Streets development after a delay was put on planning permission.

150 new homes are set to be created in the regeneration area, while 37 terraces houses will be refurbished and 280 properties will be demolished.

Plans were drawn up after extensive public consultations, however a directive was issued by the Department for Communities and Local Government straight after the council’s planning committee made a decision.

The directive meant the planning consent was put on hold until the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles MP, makes a decision.

Mayor Joe Anderson has put out protestations around the delays, and has urged Mr Pickles to allow the scheme to go ahead.

He said: “The local community have said in no uncertain terms what they want in the Welsh Streets and as Mayor I have listened to them in progressing these proposals.

“They are fed up with constant unnecessary delays which are stopping them having the good quality homes they deserve.

“There now needs to be certainty for the future. Eric Pickles also has to listen to them and decide that this is a decision which should be made locally by people who know and live in this neighbourhood.

“For a government which is supposed to champion localism it would be a travesty if this decision was made in Whitehall rather than Liverpool.

“His own government has even supported this scheme through grant allocations so I can’t imagine what reason there is for any further delay.

“I urge the Secretary of State to stop any further prevarication, listen to the overwhelming local opinion and let the regeneration of the Welsh streets go ahead as soon as possible.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Miranda Dobson .