Artist's impression of plans for a new office/leisure development at Josephine Butler House, situated at the junction of Hope Street and Myrtle Street in Liverpool _320
COUNCILLORS will today decide whether to stop the demolition of a historic Liverpool building for the creation of a retail and office development.
Last month angry members of Liverpool’s planning committee said they were minded to refuse Maghull Developments permission to demolish Josephine Butler House, at the junction of Myrtle Street and Hope Street.
The company wants to provide 263 basement car parking spaces, a high-class mini market, restaurants, and office space, as part of a £100m scheme across four sites in Hope Street.
The company caused outrage when it began “hacking off the front” of Josephine Butler House ahead of a listing application.
Contrary to advice from officials the committee decided that it was minded to refuse the application on grounds it would lead to increased traffic to the detriment of highway safety and residential amenity.
Councillors are also being asked whether they still want to refuse permission for 70 APT [Affordable Price Tag] apartments in London Road.
The Parkmoor Group wants to knock down a number of buildings including the Windsor pub to make way for the apartments and commercial units.
Parkmoor said the APT concept was an innovative introduction of ultra-high specification, pre-constructed, fully fitted and furnished range of residential units that can be quickly placed on site to create a sustainable structure that is immediately habitable.
The first units would sell at an anticipated starting price of £89,950 for a fully furnished studio apartment in the city centre of Liverpool. Rob Cooper, managing director of Parkmoor Group said: “Parkmoor’s aim for the APT concept was to create quality affordable homes that not only generate sustainable communities, but also provide much needed housing erected a lot quicker than by traditional methods.
“We are a Liverpool-based company and are proud to have developed this product.
“We hope to achieve planning permission to construct the first APT apartments in Liverpool in the coming weeks.”
Council officials had recommended the scheme be approved, but when it went before the planning committee last month councillors said the 60% of one-bedroom flats was too much.
