Liverpool Council: Report on Middleton Grange town centre to clarify site potential
A report will aim to provide a clearer framework for the proposed Middleton Grange town centre and clarify the site’s potential after a lengthy debate over the project at Liverpool Council’s July meeting.
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A clearer picture of what the Middleton Grange town centre could look like under current planning controls will emerge in coming months, with Liverpool Council reaffirming its opposition to a previous proposal for 900 units.
At its July meeting on Wednesday night, Liverpool councillors voted unanimously to reinforce its position on a planning proposal that came before the council in December 2018 seeking to rezone the land to allow 912 units.
At the time, many residents expressed concerns over the proposed density, with a majority of councillors subsequently opposing the plans.
Much of the debate at Wednesday’s meeting centred on the number of permissible dwellings at the site, with the council’s director of city economy and growth Tim Moore confirming 176 units was the minimum number of units required.
A report will now be prepared and brought back to the council at its September meeting with information on “assumed outcomes for development of the site”, taking into account current zoning controls, details from the proponent Manta Group and the council’s draft Development Control Plan.
Residents will be notified by direct mail of the range of residential units under the current zoning controls.
The council also resolved that if no application was lodged for the Middleton Grange town centre in six months, it will investigate other areas in the suburb that would be appropriate for retail.
Liberal councillor Tony Hadchiti said it was important to provide clarity to residents.
“I think everything needs to be put on the table. We want to see a town centre … if we just keep saying no to everything but yes quickly, we’ll have the wrong outcome.”
Labor councillor Charishma Kaliyanda said in her discussions with the community, many residents said they would “wear” the density allowed under current planning controls, but opposed rezoning the land to allow more residential capacity.
“Fundamentally, what they want is something to start happening at that site,” she said, but not a “high rise monstrosity in the middle of suburbia”.
Pacific Planning, planners for Manta Group, told the Leader the site enabled a density of about 600 dwellings.
“We are proposing 670 units, which includes 34 Soho dwellings and 635 apartments. This equates to 63,484 sqm (in) residential floorspace,” James Matthews from Pacific Planning said.
“Of the remaining 47,000 sqm in floorspace will be allocated to commercial uses. This includes approximately 16,000 sqm hospital and medical centre, a 18,000 sqm shopping centre including supermarkets, restaurants and speciality shops, and 13,000 sqm of commercial floor space for business services.”
“We are grateful to all the councillors for voting unanimously in their efforts to correct the misinformation that had been provided to the community.
“We welcome their efforts to ensure that the community has been provided with the correct information and hope that this will allow us to build trust and assist us to engage in meaningful consultation in the near future.”
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