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U-boat given public space by Woodside Ferry in Birkenhead
Largest complete German WWII submarine U-532 is in final
stages of being cut into sections at Birkenhead Docks during this last
week of February. It will be moved to the car-park site alongside Woodside
(Mersey Ferry) Terminal during March and is planned to become a major
new public tourist attraction on the Wirral side of the river. The new
site is not long enough for the entire length of the U-boat and glazed
sections will be displayed in a triangular formation.
Liverpool International Biennial announces Pavilions launch
The Pavilions project takes the form of three large-scale,
temporary creative spaces in the Liverpool neighbourhood's of Kirkdale,
Garston and Kensington. Each community has followed a very different approach
to their site, working collaboratively with artists and architects from
abroad to embed their individual needs and aspirations into the spaces.
Rotunda College in Vauxhall are working with Landscape Architects GROSS
Max on designs to convert a strip of derelict land outside their building
into a community garden. Tended by community groups throughout the year
creating an environment for the whole community to enjoy. The gardens
will be open from 28 April.
Metal in Kensington invited Columbian artists to design a transformation
of the disused approach to Edge Hill Station. This Pavilion will launch
together with Metal’s new programme on 3 May.
Garston Cultural Village will stage a ‘Cultural Revolution’
as the declaration of the Artistic Republic of Garston on 31 May. Focused
on the Wellington Street School building temporary becoming The Garston
Embassy.
For more information contact Kerenza Hines on k@kerenza.net
Capital of Culture 2008 - People's Opening
The much publicised Liverpool Capital of Culture 2008 opening
launch attracted 38,000 people, according to police estimates, who packed
onto the roads alongside the monumental St George's Hall on 11 January.
The advertised "People's Opening" was designed for the world's
media and powerful telephoto lenses - this public relations event lasted
40 minutes.
It was announced that 20,000 trees are to be planted in
Merseyside as a legacy for 2008. The tree planting project funded by European
grants is coordinated by Mersey
Forest's ongoing programme, with 18,000 trees allocated for Brickfields
in St Helens.
Liverpool Football Club - back to the drawing board for
Stanley Park
Further plans for Liverpool Football Club's new stadium
and the future of Anfield's historic listed park will be presented to
Liverpool Council's planning committee in the coming months. At the end
of January American owners announced that the club will be taking on £3.5M
of debt and repayment costs have meant scaled down plans for an "efficient"
new stadium design. These plans do not include an underground car park
- whether this means more of the grassed park will be taken over by car
parking remains to be seen. The playing fields on publicly owned Stanley
Park will be available for amateur football and dog walkers for a while
longer. more
Inquiry for Festival Gardens scheme ends
For 4 weeks a public inquiry in Liverpool has been listening
to evidence on plans for a large scale building scheme on the land of
the first International Garden Festival site. Closing statements were
delivered on 11 January.
The main issues for Our Ground relate to the impact of
the development on Otterspool Promenade, loss of public open space, threat
to green space along the undeveloped coastal zone, threat to nature conservation
and the sustainability of a new private park available to the public.
more below
Promenade land to be given away for private development
Liverpool Council planners are recommending that parts
of the publicly owned Otterspool Promenade land is disposed for the Festival
Gardens development - even though developers mislead the City Council
over the lease boundary when they asked for this extra building land.
more
Millbank Playing Fields
Will playing fields be privatised for a building scheme
in 2008 ? more
Sefton Park Restoration
Work started in mid February to restore Sefton Park and
is planned to finish within this year. A contractor's compound has been
setup in the Farm Field, opposite the Palm House, and this area and path
near the Greenbank end will be closed to the public for the year. Silt
from the waterways will also be stored in the compound.
Work will be carried out in sections starting at the northern
waterways, progressing to the boating lake and then the eastern area.
Only one of these sections will be closed at any one time. Building work
on a new cafe and kiosk, along with restoring statues and other features,
is scheduled to take place this year.
The Friends of Sefton Park hold Sunday afternoon meetings
in the Old Police Station on Lark Lane about once a month.
more on Inquiry for Festival Gardens
scheme
Presenting evidence in support the development were Langtree
McLean, Liverpool City Council and Councillor John Coyne. The Save the
Garden Festival Campaign presented evidence against the urbanisation plans.
Pictures, including the one at the top of this page, were
presented as evidence at the inquiry. Shown for the first time in public
these demonstrated the physical and visual impact of Finger Blocks on
the Promenade. The accuracy of the images were not disputed but local
newspapers and PR material do not illustrate this part of the development.
Langtree's statement added, "Even if it is accepted that there
will be some adverse impact through the construction of the Finger Blocks
this has to be balanced against the overall benefits of the development
of the Park and the restoration of the site as a whole".
Silken voiced Stephen Sauvain QC represented the developers
Langtree McLean. He is the region's leading expert on planning law and
has much experience in conducting public inquiries - he was Inspector
for the Dixie Dean inquiry
in 2007. His witnesses were all working professionals employed by
Langtree. He pointed out that, "There is no policy requirement
in Liverpool to provide any level of affordable housing".
Liverpool City Council were represented by the barrister,
Alan Evans, who called witnesses employed by the City Council but mostly
left questioning to Mr. Sauvain.
John Coyne, Councillor for St Michaels Ward in Liverpool,
was mainly concerned with traffic issues and called no witnesses. However,
he raised personal safety issues regarding Priory Wood, also leased by
McLean. He also stated, "I have admitted a failure in not thinking
about consulting users of the Promenade" and "..about
diminished amenity due to the closeness of the tall blocks to the waterfront".
David Morton represented the Save the Garden Festival Campaign
who, like many witnesses in preparing evidence for the Campaign, lost
income by dedicating time and work for free. Seven issues were outlined
in the Campaign's closing statement:
•Serious concerns over the new Park's sustainability
with inadequate maintenance funding - the proposed Park is the key justification
for the development.
•Building on a strategic Green Wedge along the undeveloped coastal
zone.
•Impact of the Finger Blocks on the Promenade with loss of 10
acres of woodland.
•Failings in nature conservation - lack of consultation with local
wildlife & ecology experts.
•Development conflicts with LCC's stated Housing Policy.
•Serious transport issues with impact of development and no adequate
transport policy.
•Contamination problems on the site with LCC having no registry
of land-fill sites.
The Inquiry Inspector will write a concluding report for
the Secretary of State who will decide on the plans probably in May. more
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Comment
- a brief history of Stanley Park
In 1865 work started to build two green parks for the people of Liverpool
- Sefton Park and Stanley Park. In 1871 Stanley Park, in Anfield, was
opened with ornamental walls, large stone shelters, bowling greens, sculptures,
fountains, lakes and bridges. Described by Pevsner as "One of the
best mid Victorian parks, not only in Liverpool but of the whole North".
By the 1980's park maintenance was drastically cut. The Gladstone Conservatory,
erected in 1900, was leased as a pub for a few years and then, like other
buildings in the park, rapidly became derelict.
Through the efforts of "The Friends of Stanley Park" a programme
of restoration started with the help of English Heritage lottery funding.
But before work was completed Liverpool City Council and Liverpool Football
Club announced their intentions to build a new stadium on this grade II
listed Victorian park and funding for remaining restorations was withdrawn.
In 2000 Council leaders held a public meeting in Anfield and plans for
a stadium to be built on the park were overwhelming condemned and subsequent
ballots of local people also rejected the plans to build on the park.
Regardless of local public opinion the Council and LFC were determined
that a new stadium project went ahead. In February 2007 the football club
was taken over with the promise of financing a new futuristic stadium.
By November the go-ahead was given to build an enormous American style
stadium to stretched the width of the park - nearly a third of Stanley
Park. Further landscaping plans were agreed to radically change the character
of the remainder of the park - all designed for the efficient flow of
football supporters.
In 2008 the club owners revealed financial problems. An "efficient"
new stadium design will now be presented to the City Council. These plans
may take up a larger proportion of the park.
If such a large scale private urbanisation scheme can take place in
one of Liverpool's most celebrated public parks then no other public space
in Liverpool or elsewhere is safe from private building developments.
Planning authorities are responsible for the creation of huge amounts
of wealth especially when they "gift" publicly owned open space.
Parks and playing fields are very profitable options. The principal beneficiaries
are nearly always property developers. more
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