Almost 100 homes could be built on a former Alder Hey hospital site.
An application to build a housing development of 98 homes on Springfield Gardens, found off Alder Road in West Derby, has been recommended for approval by officers when Liverpool City Council’s planning committee meets on April 23. Developer Step Places plans to build 59 retirement apartments, 31 houses, eight supported housing apartments and 88 parking spaces on the site, which used to form part of Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.
The plan was met with a significant number of objections, including from Labour councillors Joanne Kennedy and Harry Doyle, Liverpool Community Independents leader Cllr Alan Gibbons and Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Carl Cashman. Reasons for objecting included privacy concerns for the privacy of nearby charity Ronald McDonald House, the impact of views across green space, infrastructure and visual amenity.
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However, officers recommended the plans for approval. The report stated: “The redevelopment of this site is supported in principle by national and local policy, in that it would be located within a primarily residential area of the city and would provide a variety of residential uses. The scale, massing and height of the development is appropriate to the local context and therefore acceptable.
“The proposed materiality is deemed to be appropriate in this location with buff brick and slate aluminium reflecting the predominantly white rendered residential street scene and in clear distinction to the red tones and brick facing Alder Hey complex.
“The development would preserve the setting of the adjacent Grade II listed buildings and structures: Alder Lodge, Entrance to Sandfield Park, Thimble Hall, and Nelson Monument. It would further provide an accessible environment for all and meets with the Local Plan Policy requirements and associated guidance so that all potential users, regardless of mental or physical ability, age, or gender would be able to use the development safely and easily.”
It added; “The proposed development would be configured such that it would not result in any significant loss of amenity for existing occupiers of the area and would provide an acceptable standard of amenity for the future building occupiers.
“In conclusion, it is considered that the proposal offers a high-quality residential scheme that would lead to the re development of a brownfield site improving the built environment and as such would be a regeneration to the local area.”
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