Liverpool Echo Story Aug 5th 2005

The following story was run in the Liverpool Echo on the 5th of August after Echo journalist Sam Lister visited the area with a photographer. It is reprinted without amendment.


Homes to be razed in £52m facelift

Aug 5 2005

By Sam Lister, Liverpool Echo

HOUSES in a run-down community will be wiped out after two thirds were condemned unfit for habitation. Around 50 homes in Tranmere have been earmarked for demolition. Many have not been occupied for more than a decade and have major structural problems. They will be cleared, along with shops, as part of the £52m Housing Market Renewal Initiative. Planners then want to turn the area into an "urban village". Although residents are behind the plans they have objected to some of the homes being bulldozed.

James Kay, chairman of Tranmere Residents Association Church Road East, (Trace) said:

"Some of the homes don't need demolishing. They've had thousands spent on them and many of the owners have lived there for years. We're all for the Church Road front being pulled down but in some of the other areas it's totally unnecessary.

They'll have to spend around £100,000 of taxpayers' money on buying each of them, then rebuild them when all they have to do is spend a little money on renovations. The system is also unfairly skewed against older people. Many of the couples have paid off their mortgages and are too old to get a new one so it will be difficult for them to move into somewhere as nice as the homes they've spent years doing up."

The plan would also see 35 shops pulled down along with six other business units. A new town centre would then be built with 4,600sq m of retail and office space and 133 new homes.

Ward Cllr Phil Davies said:
"The transformation will be tremendous. Everybody is agreed on the fact regeneration is needed, some of the buildings are in a terrible state. "We've agreed to meet the residents to listen to their concerns and will try to reach a conclusion where everyone is happy. "The problem is, much of the money to finance this depends on clearance and redevelopment."

samlister@liverpoolecho.co.uk 0151 472 2488