LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL AND ST MODWEN URGE HIGH COURT TO MOVE FORWARD ITS GREAT HOMER STREET DECISION

Liverpool City Council and St. Modwen have petitioned the High Court to bring forward a ruling which will determine the future of a £150m regeneration project in one of the city’s poorest council wards.

Project Jennifer will deliver new homes, community facilities, a major new supermarket, new shops, and significant public realm improvements to the Great Homer Street area, in north Liverpool.

The partners have just succeeded in moving the hearing from London to a north west court, which should result in the decision being made within a shorter time frame.

The project has met with delay following the rejection of a rival planning application for a stand-alone Tesco food-store by a government planning inspector at the end of last year. The supermarket operator then launched a legal challenge, arguing that the inspector’s decision was wrong on a point of law.

Michelle Taylor, regional director at St Modwen, said: “It’s great news that the decision will now be made by a court based in the north west. The London courts tend to be the busiest and it would have taken a long time for the Project Jennifer case to be heard.

“Along with the court move, we have formally requested that the High Court brings the ruling as far forward as it can so that the community does not have to wait in limbo.

“It is a frustrating time for all involved. The community has always maintained widespread support for Project Jennifer. It wants a comprehensive scheme which will deliver real change in north Liverpool, benefiting the area for many years to come – something which our development will achieve.”

Councillor Peter Millea, Liverpool City Council’s Executive Member for Assets and Development, said: “We want this matter to be resolved as quickly as possible for the sake of the local community who have clearly shown they want a comprehensive regeneration scheme for the area.

“While there are still legal challenges, Project Jennifer is suffering further delays and the community and local businesses face uncertainty over their future.

“We are asking the Court to deal with this challenge as soon as possible. After that I hope we will be able to carry on with the programme which will bring new homes, jobs, shops and health and community facilities to an area which badly needs them.”

St Modwen had planned to start its land assembly process, via CPO, by spring 2010. The developer says it is ready to press ahead with the scheme as soon as the legal challenge is dispatched.