Cllrs Steve Radford, Hazel Williams and Chris Lenton

Liberal Party Group

41 Sutton Street

Tuebrook

Liverpool

L13 7EG

 

0152 259 5935

 

07920090322

 

Dear Editor

 

During the current Public Inquiry concerning the initial demolition of 1,100 terraced properties in Anfield, Wavertree and Edge Hill the council has clarified that they are not demolishing houses because the houses are unfit. In fact two thirds of the homes are structually secure in this initail wave of demolition.

 

Many of the homes are currently empty only because the city council ,in collaberation with the housing associations ,have been emptying them out over many years,.

We believe this policy of neglect by stealth should have been subject to proper public debate, not discussed by the housing committee behind closed doors.

 

Even more alarming is that the council consultant and advocate of this policy has stated that "household projections lead to the estimation of 209,000 households in Liverpool in 2016. At present there are 199,000 households - an oversupply of 11,000 ., However there are 15,500 new homes which enjoy planning permission...which will increase the oversupply to 16,500 homes."

 

The council are spending millions of pounds purchasing terraced homes only to demolish them and then hand the land site over to one of four national house builders

 

Fourteen times the amount of public money is being spent to progress demolition as compared to spending on improving current houses

 

Unless there is a major rethink of Council and Government policy then every community of terraced houses should feel under threat.

 

The demolition coalition of Labour and Lib Democrats have contempt for the right of people to live in their own homes unmolested by state compulsory purchase.

 

With their current logic of removing terraced properties deemded to be surplus ,anything between 10,000 and 15,000 more terraced homes could be CPO'd on top of the current schedule

 

We urge readers to protest at this destructive policy before even more damage and dereliction is rolled out as part of a deliberate public policy to redesign the city

 

Cllrs Steve Radford, Hazel Williams and Chris Lenton

Liberal Party Group