Briefing Note for C Parker
20 October 2003.
Granby Housing Renewal Area
Background
Renewal Area Status
The City Council declared Granby Triangle a Renewal Area in November 1995 following the completion of a Neighbourhood Renewal Assessment.
Effectively, the proposals for the Renewal Area are split between the areas north and south of Beaconsfield Street
The Neighbourhood Renewal Assessment, in very brief terms, focused on
removing the highest concentration of unfitness in the streets north of Beaconsfield Street by Clearance and Redevelopment and
Improving the existing housing stock using Group Repair Schemes and Renovation Grants in the area south of Beaconsfield Street.
Because there are still a number of unresolved problems in the southern sector, a further mini NRA has been commissioned which will produce options which can be appraised and which will help determine a sensible way forward. PPS consultants will carry out this work
Northern Half (Phase 1 Area & Phase 2 Areas)
During 1996 (Phase 1) and in 1999 (Phase 2), the City Council declared ten Clearance Areas which covered all of the terraced property in the Northern half of the area.
Five of the Clearance Areas where included in a Compulsory Purchase Order, which was confirmed following a Public Inquiry in October 1997.
The older terraced properties within the Clearance Areas underpinned by the CPO have been demolished and replaced with 124 RSL new build properties, owned by Riverside, LHT and CDS.
The remaining four Clearance Areas have been progressed by purchasing property by agreement and are located in the streets adjacent to the Alrahma Mosque (Roseberry / Hatherley / Eversley) and adjacent to Kingsley Community School (Eversley / Ponsonby / Cawdor). Progressing clearance has taken longer by virtue of acquiring property through negotiation with many individual owners. Nevertheless, some demolition has progressed in Eversley and Cawdor Streets. There remain 9 residents in the Rosebery/Hatherley/ Eversley area and 1 resident in the Eversley/ Ponsonby/ Cawdor area.
In terms of the future use of land contained within the Clearance Area, ideas/proposals have been suggested :
area adjacent to the Mosque - Liverpool Muslim Society and Liverpool Muslim Enterprise Development Services have had discussions regarding a joint proposal for a cultural, community and enterprise facility, however they have not agreed a common vision.
Granby Surestart were seeking to acquire the existing open space on Mulgrave Street/Princes Avenue, including a terrace block in Eversley Street, for their development. However, due to land acquisition problems an alternative site in Upper Warwick Street. Initial discussions have been held with Steve Biko Housing Association regarding a housing development to meet the needs of the BME communities, perhaps working with a private sector partner.
For the area adjacent to Kingsley Road School, a range of ideas have been suggested - a community garden, open space and following the relatively positive market testing exercise officers would now like to give consideration to new build as an option for the area.
No decisions have been taken for each of the proposals suggested as the future use. To varying degrees, each proposal has issues of feasibility, funding, legal entity, ownership/disposal, project development and planning issues to be resolved.
Shop Provision. The shops on Granby Street within the Northern Half where withdrawn from the CPO at the Public Inquiry stage, although the status of Clearance remained with the result that acquisition would be progressed by negotiation. A small number of the retail premises continue to trade and serve the existing residential population. The development of a focused retail strategy is required to address questions of long term commercial viability, range of shopping needs, capital investment requirements, appropriate location/consolidation, and potential new cultural/heritage opportunities. Retail provision located within the area to serve a wider catchment area, and to include the remaining shops in the southern half of the Renewal Area. A draft brief is currently the subject of consultation and identifies the need to link with wider strategies i.e. the Partnership's Area Regeneration Framework. The timing of producing a specific retail strategy still needs to be determined, particularly now, in relation to the `mini NRA'.
Beaconsfield Group Repair.
The Beaconsfield Group Repair scheme was a pilot scheme completed in 1999, external and internal works to a block of 32 properties containing both owner occupied and Housing Association property.
The out turn refurbishment cost was estimated at £66,000 per unit in 2000.
Southern Half Strategy Development.
Three issues came together in the late 1990's to challenge the way forward for the southern half as set out by the NRA of block improvement/grant renovation:
CURS research into Liverpool's housing markets
Sustainability and supply/demand for social housing
Unit cost and value for money of the Group Repair Project. Current values on Beaconsfield Street are in the region of £30 000. More recent survey works commissioned through Tweeds indicate refurbishment costs ranging from £140 000 to £80 000. While there is some scope to reduce the specification of works without impacting on the long term sustainability of the stock the gap between end values and refurbishment costs remains a major obstacle in terms of taking the initial proposal of block improvements and grants forward.
Following discussions with the City Council, Granby Residents Association
commissioned the `3 Streets' Report, to establish the level of demand for new home ownership. The `3 Streets' Report was completed March/April 2001.
In response to the `3 Streets' Report, the City Council agreed an approach in November 2001, that focussed on:
meeting the aspirations of existing residents who wish to remain in the area
within available resources
any solution has to take into account the proper planning needs of the area to ensure further development proposals can be brought forward
develop a Brief to market test a pilot project for new home ownership and the level of private sector interest.
The market testing exercise has been completed. Interest has been expressed by a small number of developers either for new build or combined refurbishment/new build options. The option of refurbishment of all existing property is not viable.
In terms of meeting the aspirations of existing residents to remain in the area in refurbished property, work is currently being undertaken by Inner City Solutions to identify the options available. This followed a letter from Granby Residents Association in August 2002 making a proposal for the local authority to pursue an option that involved the refurbishment of the triangle fronting onto the Avenue for existing residents.
Issues
Meeting aspirations of Owner occupiers - funding gap
Refurbishment costs are high while out turn values are still relatively low and don't represent value for money.
low demand for general social rented housing, excluding specific needs, due to the amount in the wider area.
difficulty in achieving a concensus as to the way forward
Identified in Strategic Investment Framework and Initial Granby / Toxteth masterplan proposals as a key area of intervention window of opportunity.
Renewal Status expires in November 2005
Need to create good market conditions improve neighbourhood management, site treatment through English Partnerships and links to wider Granby /Toxteth vision.
Also attached is the Neighbourhood Development Plan for the area which will be accompanying the SIIF document