Artist's impression of Everton's new stadium & shops in Kirkby _320
TESCO yesterday refused to guarantee the final series of phases to redevelop Kirkby’s town centre would take place.
John Francis, a town planning witness for the supermarket giant and Everton FC, made the admission under cross examination at the public inquiry into Destination Kirkby.
Roger Lancaster, acting for the objecting combined authorities, asked: “It appears there is no certainty that phase four of the work will be carried out. Is that the case?”
Phase four plans an overhaul of the land behind the shopping centre, and other work in the centre will replace the existing council buildings on Cherryfield Drive with hotels and leisure facilities .
Mr Francis said: “A large part of the town centre is entirely dependent on a sea change being achieved in the perception of Kirkby where national retailers actually want to invest in the town.”
He went on to explain that if, as he fully expected, Everton and Tesco did have a massive positive impact on the town, then these planned improvements would go ahead.
Mr Francis also pointed out that as Tesco now owned a large swathe of the existing town centre it would be in their best interests to make the improvements as proposed.
He was also questioned about why Everton and Tesco had decided to propose a development that, on the face of it, contravened Regional Spacial Strategy (RSS) guidelines.
The panel who put together the RSS took an overall look at the different regeneration needs of town centres across Merseyside and suggested how their future should be decided.
Opponents of the Kirkby scheme have seized on this issue to claim the £400m bid is simply too large to be acceptable as it affects neighbouring towns across Merseyside.
But Mr Francis, in the second day of his evidence, explained the applicants had always thought Destination Kirkby should be on a big scale.
He added: “The strategy was flawed. The panel was being asked to comment on policy when it wasn't in full receipt of all the information.
“A town the size of Kirkby with its needs was completely ignored whereas other towns were included.”
Stephen Sauvain, cross-examining on behalf of Liverpool council, said: “Yes, but the panel clearly considered your objections and rejected them.”
He said the strategy demanded any investment must be on an “appropriate” scale and “should not change the shopping hierarchy in any way.”
A series of questions put by Peter Ross, who joined the opposition residents yesterday, attempted to prove the development would reduce the amount of green space available for sport.
Mr Francis admitted some fields would be taken away but the quality of the replacement sports fields would be better and therefore be a net gain.
