25th July 2019

Plans to develop a new high quality housing-led regeneration project in Kirkdale have been strongly backed by local residents, according to the results of a public consultation.

The proposed scheme, called Kirkdale Canalside, is being led by a partnership between Liverpool Foundation Homes, Liverpool City Council’s ethical housing company, and Britain’s former super-middleweight boxing champion, Liverpool’s Paul Smith.

Smith, advised by London-based Lacey Capital Partners, has partnered with Liverpool City Council’s ethical housing company, Foundations, to bring forward the plans to transform this part of north Liverpool and bring about much needed improvement to the environment and the opportunity for employment in construction and the scheme once complete.

If approved, the scheme would provide affordable new homes, refurbished homes and neighbourhoods, community facilities, elderly care accommodation, improved and accessible green space, an eco-park and a new boxing academy to be run by Smith and his three brothers, the most successful boxing family in the UK and holders of British, European and world titles.

Some 92 per cent of local people who took part in the public consultation supported the proposals overall, with more than seven out of 10 people saying they ‘strongly’ supported the ideas.

In total 351 questionnaires were completed over the course of the three week consultation, which took place from 8^th May to 6^th June.

Support for the individual aspects of the proposals was also extremely high, with local respondents backing the plans for new housing, including specialist elderly accommodation, new neighbourhood facilities and  a new high quality park in the area by receiving more than 90% of support from local respondents.

The proposed scheme area includes the inaccessible and unused railway cutting and neighbouring canal side that run along Melrose Road and Commercial Road through the heart of Kirkdale. The scheme will also look to focus on the ‘flower’ streets and Orwell Road areas.

Almost three thousand homes and businesses in the area surrounding the site were leafleted to invite local residents to two community consultation events at the Gordon Institute on Stanley Road on 17^th and 18^th May.

For those who were unable to attend, a survey was available for completion online.

With a strong local community mandate in place, Kirkdale Canalside remains on track to conduct a second public consultation on the facilities and designs proposed for the project by the end of the year, which will follow a detailed piece of feasibility work to be undertaken by the team over the next few weeks and months.

Paul Smith said: “We’re very happy with the results of the first stage of the consultation, which have reaffirmed to us that our vision for Kirkdale Canalside is in line with what people in Kirkdale want to see in their community.

“Their feedback will be listened to and reflected in our proposals as we continue to develop our ideas for the potential of this project.”

“Kirkdale Canalside is a fantastic opportunity for the Smith brothers to give back to the community where they were raised and we’re very pleased with the support these plans have received from local residents, who see the overwhelming benefits that this project will bring to the area,” said Cllr Joe Hanson (Lab), ward councillor for Kirkdale.

Liverpool City Council is the sole shareholder of Foundations, which has been set up to improve the availability of good quality, affordable homes in the city. The company, set up by the Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson, wants to see Foundations improve the city’s housing stock, revolutionise the Rent to Buy sector and drive up council tax receipts for the council.

Foundations chief executive Mark Kitts said: “Housing has the ability to transform lives and communities and we want our plans for Kirkdale Canalside to inject a new lease of life into the area and bring spaces which have historically been neglected and underused back into public use.

“Our aim is to deliver sustainable, high quality new and refurbished homes that will increase the choice of housing stock available to local people at affordable prices. We were very pleased to see over 350 responses and such strong local support for our plans in the first stage of the consultation and we’ll be working hard to bring these ideas to life during the next stage and show local residents how these homes will look.”

As part of Liverpool City Council’s commitment to eliminate the impact of climate change by 2030, regeneration initiatives such as Kirkdale Canalside will have a significant role to play in terms of the approach to design, and methods of construction which will ensure that the built environment responds positively to provide sustainable homes and leisure facilities for the future.

Chris Lacey, the managing director of Lacey Capital Partners said: “The results of the consultation have shown the strong appetite for high quality yet affordable living in Kirkdale. We want to create a healthy and secure place for people to live and work and this is an exciting opportunity to serve a real need in the city.”

To be kept up to date with activity on the project, please visit the campaign website https://www.kirkdalecanalside.com/.

Ends

Issued on behalf of the joint venture.  For further information:

• Jon Brown at Influential, for Foundations: 07811 451184
• Dougal Paver at Merrion Strategy for Paul Smith and Lacey Capital Partners: 078176 29 62 62

About Liverpool Foundations Homes

Liverpool Foundation Homes (Foundations) is Liverpool City Council’s ethical housing company. Foundations is the flagship housing policy for Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson, who wants to use the company to rebalance the city’s social housing stock, revolutionise the Rent to Buy sector and drive up council tax receipts.

It has been tasked with creating bespoke properties for the homeless, foster carers, large families, the elderly and people with a disability and to improve the availability of good quality, affordable homes in the city.

For more information visit: https://liverpoolfoundationhomes.co.uk/

About Lacey Capital Partners

Lacey Capital Partners provides investment and development advice in the UK residential sector and was founded in 2017 by Chris Lacey who has advised on more than £5bn of successful projects to date.

About Paul Smith

Paul Smith is a professional boxer from Kirkdale, Liverpool, and the former British super-middleweight champion, a title he won 30^th October 2009 and held until 11^th December 2012, having successfully defended the title previously.

Smith’s career spans 45 fights, including 38 wins, of which 22 were by KO.  He now works with Sky Sports as an expert commentator and summariser as well as retaining various business interests.  He is the eldest of four boxing brothers who between them have won four British and two world titles.