Tycoon warns council: You won't force me out of Liverpool

Jan 8 2008

THE multi-millionaire owner of three of Liverpool’s worst “eyesores” last night said he would not be “driven in despair” to sell his land holdings.

Derwent Holdings, owned by Isle of Man-based property tycoon Albert Gubay, said certain elements at the city council were determined the company would not develop its holdings in Edge Lane.

Derwent’s statement was released following the exclusive disclosure in the Daily Post on Saturday that Mr Gubay had offered to clear the city’s £20m shortfall in Capital of Culture finances in exchange for a plot of land and planning permission for a retail park.

Derwent owns a number of sites in Edge Lane including the retail park. It offered to buy the adjoining Rathbone Road Recreation Ground for development.

The council has told Derwent to clean up its the derelict Rugs 2 Go and Klaussners stores and formerthe ex-Advent car showroom.

The authority is locked in a legal battle with Derwent over the former Traveller’s Rest pub which the council also wants cleared up. A dispute has also existed over a number of years over what form the firm’s plans for the area should take.

In the summer, the company said it had £200m plans for a retail park, but has yet to submit planning permission.

A council spokesman said Derwent, which has been told to clear up derelict properties, was treated no differently to other developers and it should keep its property in a good condition.

He said legal action had not been ruled out in respect of the other sites.

Last night, Derwent MD Peter Willers said in a statement thatin 1986/87 derelict factories along this part of Edge Lane were acquired, demolished and redeveloped as the Edge Lane retail park.

He said in 1999 the council and the company were about to exchange contracts with the council for the acquisition and development of Rathbone Road recreation park but the council reneged on the deal.

“In 2001 we were approached by the council and the North West Development Agency with regard to the redevelopment of Rathbone Road recreation park and we entered into negotiations with the council for the same.

“By 2007, it became clear to us that the council’s aspirations for the redevelopment of the Rathbone Road recreation park and the adjoining Edge Lane retail park were far lower than that which we envisaged.

“Accordingly, we discontinued those negotiations and have, since then, made various planning applications on our land holdings in Edge Lane, all of which have, so far, been refused.”

He said that certain elements at the council “are determined that we shall not redevelop Edge Lane and that by making life continuously difficult for us, we shall be driven in despair to sell our land holdings in Edge Lane.

“We must make it very clear that this simply will not happen.”

He said the council had been forced to pay the company costs in respect of a number of legal actions.

“We only wish to be treated in the same way as the council and its planning department has treated other retail park developers around Liverpool.”

Rather than continuing to pursue the company “it would be much more constructive for the council to treat us in a proper and even-handed manner”, he said.

He said the council ran the risk of running up legal costs if it continued to take legal action.

“...All that will happen in the future is that the council will rack up more and more wasted legal costs and Edge Lane will only become redeveloped following appeals against all of the current and, no doubt, future refusals,” he added.

He said the £20m offered was “far in excess of the value of the Rathbone Road recreation Park”.

Last night a council spokesman said: “We would deny that we treat Derwent any differently to other developers. We would expect any responsible landholder to maintain their sites in a good condition especially in our flagship Capital of Culture year.”