Public inquiry begins today to determine future of former Garden Festival site

Oct 30 2007 by Larry Neild, Liverpool Daily Post

Garden Festival site (200)

BATTLE lines will be drawn today when a public inquiry opens in Liverpool to determine the future of the former International Garden Festival site at Otterspool.

Developers Langtree and McLean will be out-lining their vision for a £250m scheme to build more than 1,300 homes on part of the festival site, with the restoration of the one-time spectac-ular gardens as part of the entire project.

Protesters plan to unveil a huge banner made by local children at the start of the three-day public inquiry at the Britannia Adelphi Hotel.

The Save Our Festival Gardens Campaign group plan to argue that the green wedge on the river bank should be preserved as public parkland.

The Langtree McLean consortium will argue the new homes – mostly eight-storey apartment blocks, along with 68 traditional houses – are needed to raise cash for the restoration of the 56-acre garden site that will become public parkland.

The inquiry was ordered by former Local Government Secretary Ruth Kelly after the scheme was called in for government scrutiny.

A planning inspector will take evidence and visit the site before making a recommenda-tion to Ms Kelly’s successor, Hazel Blears.

The scheme is sup-ported by Liverpool City Council which see the proposals as a way of restoring the derelict garden site to its former glory. It would revive the spectacular ornamental Chinese and Japanese gardens.

Last night local coun-cillor Steve Munby said he will oppose the pro-posals, describing the scheme and parkland as a disaster in the making.

“I feel that a new public park is not desirable. We cannot afford to look after existing parks in our city. There is far more scope to create a low level nature area, maybe linked to eco-activity.

St Michael’s councillor John Coyne, the city’s sole Green Party politician, will also be raising concerns about the project during the hearing.