Apparently Lcc Will Not Be Objecting To Destination Kirkby/kirkby Stadium

[Louis]

http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0400eve...-name_page.html

 

Personally, I don't think the article is accurate as Bradley and Anderson have both said LCC will be objecting to it and the only quote is from Everton's PR department and he says "if". The decision will be made on Wednesday.

 

EVERTON FC’s plan to move to Kirkby took a step nearer last night as it emerged Liverpool council is no longer likely to formally object to the scheme.

 

The city’s planning committee, which meets on Wednesday, has been recommended to raise a number of concerns about the £400m scheme that also involves building a Tesco superstore.

 

But councillors are not being asked to oppose the scheme now the retail element is effectively cut by 30%, after the authority previously said it would object.

 

The council wants a further reduction in floorspace and “robust conditions and/or legal agreements” dictating how much expansion can take place in future.

 

Last night, Ian Ross, Everton’s director of communications, said: “If Liverpool City Council is not formally objecting, that can only be good news for the project.”

 

In April, the supermarket was forced, in the face of mounting opposition, to downgrade the amount of retail in the scheme which includes 50 shops from around 72,000 sq m, to 50,000 sq m.

 

Sefton council’s planning committee, which was also previously minded to object before the reduction, will also meet on Wednesday.

 

Officials in Sefton have not yet advised councillors whether to formally object, but have raised a number of concerns with the scheme.

 

If neither council objects, it would reduce the likelihood of the Government calling an inquiry into the scheme which could delay it by a year, or derail it.

 

Both local authorities are worried about future expansion of the retail element.

 

Tesco achieved the reduction by removing mezzanine floors, but these could be reintroduced without needed additional planning permission if smaller than 200 sq m.

 

Both councils are concerned at the prospect of an incremental re-introduction of the floorspace.

 

A report to Sefton councillors quotes a letter from Tesco which states the stripping out of mezzanine floors “has implications for the viability of the scheme”.

 

It goes on: “While some retailers may well require additional floorspace in the form of a mezzanine soon after opening if trading potentially justifies such a move, most will only require the additional floorspace once the outlet has traded for over a year, some two years.”

 

Officials in Sefton remain concerned that, even on the reduced scale, the retail element is “inappropriate”. Liverpool council officials said they “strongly support” Knowsley council’s ambition to regenerate Kirkby town centre.

 

However, they state that despite the reduction, the shopping space is still “extremely large”.

 

They remain unconvinced about the “need” for the scale of development being proposed, and have “unanswered questions”.

 

They recommend that “a more thorough assessment is required and a further reduction in retail floorspace should be negotiated”.

 

“Should members of Knowsley council be minded to approve this application then officers advise that the level of future floorspace should be controlled by robust conditions and legal agreements.”

 

A spokesman for Knowsley council said: “All comments submitted as part of the three consultation exercises will be taken into account when the planning committee meets.”

[Louis]

Update - Liverpool City Council will be objecting. The journalist didn't read the whole report and came to his own (wrong) conclusions.

[jamiemaher85]

Classy well informed journalism at its best

[Randomness]

i was about to say typical dominic king pro kirkby bullshit but i was surprised to learn it was david bartlett who wrote the story. oh dear daily post is falling down a peg.

[Randomness]

So LCC will be Objecting tomorrow then?

[Louis]

They unaminously decided to object.

[Randomness]

EVERTON FC’s plan to move to Kirkby was this morning dealt a hammer blow, after Liverpool City Council formally objected to the scheme

 

The city’s planning committee voted unanimously to object to the £400m scheme that also involves building a Tesco superstore despite not having been advised to by council officials.

 

The committee also heard that Sefton, St Helens, and West Lancashire we also likely to object and that Sefton was likely to go further and demand a full public inquiry into the matter.

 

Council leader Warren Bradley and opposition Labour leader Joe Anderson, both of whom are Everton season ticket holders, spoke at the committee and asked the council to object to the scheme.

 

The council had received a report compiled by planning experts Cushman and Wakefield that spelt out concerns with the scheme.

 

Cushman and Wakefield state the size of the development - about 500,000sq ft - conflicts with planning policies and would reposition Kirkby from 11th in the retail hierarchy of the region to possibly 4th.

 

Committee chairman Dave Irving said he was concerned about the detrimental effect the size of the retail element would have on shopping centres across Merseyside.

 

The planning application, that also includes 50 shops, will be considered by Knowsley Council on Monday.

 

Knowsley officials have recommended that the application be approved because regeneration benefits outweigh the conflicts with planning policies.

 

 

what next then??

[Louis]

It's a case of wait and see.

 

On Monday, Knowsley will approve the application as they believe the good stuff outweighs the bad stuff and the government will decide whether to call it in which would the delay the project a year and increase costs by a few million.