Edge Lane inquiry: Home failure ‘conspiracy’ is denied

Jan 19 2008 by Ben Schofield, Liverpool Daily Post

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ALLEGATIONS that housing market failure along Edge Lane were deliberately engineered were strongly denied at a planning inquiry yesterday.

The hearing into the Edge Lane West development was also told houses there are not “desirable” enough for today’s “aspirational” householders.

Planning inspector Philip Major is hearing evidence to decide if a compulsory purchase order on almost 70 properties should be allowed.

The houses will be demolished along with 300 others already owned by Liverpool City Council to make way for a wider Edge Lane and around 280 new homes.

One justification for the project which developers Liverpool Land Development Company (LLDC) and national regeneration agency English Partnerships are citing is that the area is crippled by housing market failure.

But opponent Elizabeth Pascoe said in her opening statement on Tuesday that market failure was engineered as a part of a conspiracy.

Ms Pascoe, who heads pressure group Better Environmental Vision for Edge Lane (Bevel), suggested the vast majority of empty houses had been vacated by social tenants offered incentives to leave the area. In his evidence, Tom McGuire, chief executive of social landlord Community Seven, strenuously denied the allegation.

He told the inquiry: “That’s an indefinable assertion and there is certainly no evidence to justify it.

“Tenants have moved voluntarily to houses they have selected.”

Mr McGuire said his organisation had worked with tenants to select the most appropriate houses for their needs and had allowed them to stay on in their homes until suitable properties became available.

Community Seven paid tenants fixed rate home loss compensation and covered the costs of moving house and settling into new homes.

Both of which, Mr McGuire said, tenants were legally allowed to receive.

He added: “None, I emphasise none, have moved on the basis of coercion or persuasion.”

LLDC says it will clear the Victorian houses and turn Edge Lane into an “urban boulevard”.

As well as the new houses, plans include a state-of-the-art medical centre and new shops.

Mr McGuire condemned the ageing houses and said the community was unsustainable.

The inquiry is scheduled to last another three weeks.

benschofield