Press Statement from the Save the Meadows Campaign (28/8/2014)

Meadows not Redrows: Save Sefton Park Meadows

Local campaigners vow to save the Meadows after Liverpool City Council announces its choice of Redrow Homes North West as the preferred developer to attempt to secure the essential planning consents before the Meadows are sold and 'exemplar' executive housing is built on the beautiful green space of Sefton Park Meadows.

Mayor Anderson claims that the Meadows is not part of Sefton Park and therefore he can sell it. But in the 1890's after other plots around Sefton Park were sold for villas, our City Fathers refused to sell the Meadows. Instead they created a spectacular tree-lined sweeping entrance between Sefton Park and Queens Drive - which still remains intact in all it's splendour today. For over 140 years the Meadows has always been enjoyed as part of Sefton Park and is now within a designated conservation area.

Mayor Anderson ignores the plentiful supply of brownfield sites in Liverpool ideal for housing and prefers to destroy our precious green spaces. The Mayor says we need more executive homes but this attack on the Meadows seems to be an excuse to justify selling off green space used by thousands for the benefit of a few ‘executive home’ owners.

Mayor Anderson rejected out of hand the objections of thousands of local residents to the loss of the Meadows. In 2013 the Meadows were included on the City Council’s list of ‘incidental open space’ for possible disposal in order to plug the gap in City finances caused by unfair Tory and Lib Dem budget cuts to Liverpool.

The Save the Meadows Campaign will fight every stage of the planning process and beyond to stop any building development on Sefton Park Meadows. The first priority is to oppose the planning application to be submitted to the City Council by Redrow.

The Chair of SSPM, Ken Aspinall said today: ‘This is an unnecessary and outrageous development and we call on everyone who loves Sefton Park to let Mayor Anderson know what they think and join us in making sure the Meadows remain open to everyone for now and for future generations.’

Open green space and school playing fields in Liverpool have disappeared at an alarming rate in recent years and Mayor Anderson wants to accelerate this trend by building over more of the city's green space. In south Liverpool: Redrow are now building over a 100 of their 'Heritage' houses on the former school playing field now called New Heys in Allerton (prices from £365,000); the Mayor is also currently formulating plans to build on the green grass of Woolton Woods.

In the early 1990's when the Meadows were first under threat from building plans, the City Council's then head of planning reported on the Meadowlands: "In ideal circumstances the site should remain as open space, as part of Sefton Park". He also reported that this view was echoed by English Heritage when consulted at the time.

Although the Meadows is not listed by English Heritage as Grade 1, Édouard André, who designed Sefton Park at the end of the 1860's would have overseen the planting of rows of trees on the Meadowlands to fit into the design and setting of the rest of Sefton Park. The Meadows site includes a unique double row of Lime Trees along both sides of Queens Drive: Liverpool's only double avenue of mature trees and a feature worthy of a listing in itself. There is also a spectacular row of Plane Trees planted over 140 years ago on the Mossley Hill Drive side of the Meadows.

It is understood by SSPM that these trees, despite their age, are in robust good health and pose no danger to the public. It is hoped that the threat of development does not lead to sudden disease or deterioration requiring their removal.

For further details:

Ken Aspinall by email: ken.aspinall[at]gmail.com
Mobile phone: 07759 421 380
Website: saveseftonparkmeadows.org
Facebook: facebook.com/SaveSeftonParkMeadows

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Comment left by johno on 2nd September, 2014 at 15:48
Well done to ken and Lucy for battling to bring the issue to public attention not as widely known outside the area but like the nook over a decade ago a small bit of greenspace that moved 100s of local people to take on greedy landsnatchers l the 3 year odd battle may of lost but the war continued.we have experience and veterans organisers who can cut through council hogwash and give people the unvarnished truth. by it up with other campaigns ongoing it will broaden its appeal and like the libraries campaign and assorted cuts battles its got to be seen as part of a wider attack on the city by sharks and speculators.that must be resisted with all our strength.