Councillor Kemp challenges Redrow to "move on or move out"

Richard Kemp, councillor, planning committee member and mayoral candidate, has written to two non-executive directors at Redrow to ask for clarification about the developer's intentions for Sefton Park Meadowlands, Liverpool, after it submitted a planning application over a year ago. The councillor has called for Redrow to withdraw the "appalling development proposals", warning that it could threaten the developer's strategic housing relationship with the Council if there were to be a change of leadership.

Local people have waited too long for a decision. Is it being kept back until after the local elections?

So I believe it’s time for Redrow to “Move on or Move Out”. We are currently in the middle of a heavily contested Mayoral Election. This is the ideal opportunity for Redrow to show that it listens to public opinion by withdrawing its ill thought proposals. If Redrow does not do this we can only assume that the company is waiting until after the elections for a better time to make an extremely unpopular decision.

In my letter I point out that it is more than 1.5 years since Redrow had a consultation event for the Park and just under 1.5 years have passed since they submitted a planning application. Since then both the Council and Redrow have remained silent on the issue despite much public pressure.

I have written to two of the Company’s none-executive directors who I know from my national work to ask them to intercede with Redrow to get the company to withdraw from the development.

Liz Peace,Sir Michael LyonsNone Executive Dire4ctors,Redrow Homes,

By E-Mail

Dear Liz and Michael,

Re: Sefton Park Meadowlands, Liverpool 17

I am writing to you as people I have known for many years to try and unlock Redrow’s intentions as to the above piece of land.

For background it is more than 3 years since the local community was stunned by the suggestion that this lovely, unspoiled piece of parkland would be built on. It is just over 1.5 years since Redrow had a shambolic consultation event to discuss the plans with the community who roundly condemned them. It is just under 1.5 years since Redrow put in a planning application for the development which has still to see the light of day on the planning committee on which I sit.

This is considerably upsetting for people with a great attachment to the Park. This description includes most of the population of South Liverpool!!

I believe that the major problem is the number of trees that will need to be hacked down. The two sites which will form the one site are entirely surrounded by beautiful established trees at about 20ft intervals. They and the grassland within them form an idyllic picture as the entrance to a Grade 1 Park.

So I believe it’s time for Redrow to “Move on or Move Out”. We are currently in the middle of a heavily contested Mayoral Election. This is the ideal opportunity for Redrow to show that it listens to public opinion by withdrawing its ill thought proposals. If Redrow does not do this we can only assume that the company is waiting until after the elections for a better time to make an extremely unpopular decision.

Would you please use your positions as none-executive directors of the Company to ensure that this appalling development proposals are withdrawn now? If not this will threaten the position of Redrow within the City as a whole and could, given a change of leadership of the Council, lead to the ending of the strategic housing relationship which the company enjoys with the Council.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Richard

Cllr Richard Kemp CBE,

Liberal Democrat Mayoral Candidate