Inquiry told Garden Festival site could be jeopardy

Nov 2 2007 by Liza Williams, Liverpool Daily Post

THE redevelopment of Liverpool’s International Garden Festival site may never happen if Langtree McLean’s plan for 1,300 homes is rejected, a financial expert warned last night.

Economist Timothy Johnston said developer Langtree McLean had already spent £13.8m acquir-ing and designing plans for the 56-acre derelict Otterspool site.

He did not believe that level of public investment could be raised for the redevelopment and protection of parkland at the site, if Langtree McLean’s blueprint was rejected.

Mr Johnson was speaking on the third day of a public inquiry into the controversial £250m plan, which includes revitalising the Japanese and Chinese gardens which were flagship exhibits of the 1984 festival.

The plan was essential to the renaissance of the Mersey waterfront, and the only way to regenerate the area was to incorporate private development.

He said the plan was an important factor in the regeneration of Liverpool as a whole, and added that if development was not approved, the site’s continued derelict state would leave a damaging hole in the city’s plans – including denting its tourism prospects.

Garden Festival video

What the Garden Festival site could become

Developers have released a fly-through of what they hope the Garden Festival site could become Read

“For those who say why not get the public sector to build a park, I say you have to pay at least £13.8m to just gain the land from the developers because that is what they paid to acquire it – I do not believe this funding can be obtained,” said Mr Johnson.

“I fear the site may lay in its current form and be a detractor for Liverpool as opposed to an attractor. If this development fails to secure planning permission now, I believe it is unlikely that any development or restoration will be possible in the future.”

Developers say the new homes, mostly eight-story apartment blocks, and 68 houses, are needed to fund the restoration of the 56-acre green space.

But campaigners said yesterday they felt other options, such as the involvement of charitable organisations to create a nature park, had not been investigated.

Protesters opposed to the loss of “green wedge space” were yesterday not convinced by the reliance of the scheme on new residential buildings.

David Morton, spokesman for Save the Garden Festival Campaign, said: “There are problems with the Liverpool housing market and you are going to unleash a whole load of flats into it – there are already developments in trouble within the city.” But Mr Johnston argued there was demand for property on the site, which offered green space, a waterfront view and close proximity to the city.

He added that the scheme would also safeguard public-sector investment, would create jobs and would maintain the site for the foreseeable future.

The inquiry concludes on November 16.

• SEE a fly-through of the garden festival site plans here