Judge blocks £70m Edge Lane gateway

Jun 7 2007 by Larry Neild, Liverpool Daily Post

A VITAL £70m scheme to reshape the vital Edge Lane corridor into Liverpool was legally frozen last night, following the latest court victory by campaigning grandmother Elizabeth Pascoe.

An order signed by a judge in London means properties in Edge Lane earmarked for demolition can’t be pulled down until the out-come of a fresh CPO process is completed.

It makes it virtually certain that the hoped-for “stunning gateway” into the city from the east will not be ready in Capital of Culture year, and may not be even started until 2009.

Only a handful of homes are involved, but their fate is crucial to the road improvement scheme.

Last night, Ms Pascoe threw down the gauntlet to city council leader Warren Bradley, inviting him to a one-to-one meeting.

She said: “This is the fifth time the Edge Lane issue has been to court, and the fifth time I have won. We don’t want to stand in the way of regenerating Edge Lane, but what is pro- posed – the clearance of 500 homes – is not regeneration, it is obliteration.

“I challenge Warren to a face-to-face with me, no off- icers present, so that I can explain what we are doing. Since the scheme first evolv-ed the Government has come down against the demolition of basically good housing. We also are desperately short of affordable homes in Liverpool and these are exactly those kind of homes.”

Cllr Bradley said he would welcome a face-to-face with Ms Pascoe: “The vast major-ity of people in the Edge Lane are desperate for the regeneration of their area and I am sad this scheme is being held up again.”

Last night, Liverpool City Council said that while the court ruling meant homes in Edge Lane had to stay until a new CPO is concluded, it left the council free to carry out regeneration work in the wider Edge Hill area.

The city council and Ms Pascoe’s lawyers came to an agreement in March to settle a court action brought by Ms Pascoe not to demolish the small number of properties fronting Edge Lane.

Yesterday’s court ruling confirms that agreement.