Plans to add nine new homes above a three-storey building in south Liverpool have been labelled an 'absolute abomination.'
Those were the words of Liverpool Wavertree MP Paula Barker as she lent her support to efforts to block a controversial development at an existing block of flats.
The Labour MP visited residents at Beech Court in Allerton to give her backing to their moves to prevent an additional storey being added to their block of flats.
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Applicant Rachmarc Properties is seeking to add the nine new homes on a new floor above the current three storey building.
According to the application submitted to Liverpool Council by Peter Hamilton planning consultancy on behalf of RachMarc Properties, the proposed development would include one two-bed and eight further one bed apartments on top of the current block of two-bed flats.
Those occupying the properties have come together in a bid to oppose the plans, holding public meetings and setting up an online campaign dubbed “Extension Rebellion.”
Objections to the flats plan have described it as “mimicking a Brazilian favela”.
Ms Barker visited the site last weekend at the request of residents, tweeting that she offered her “full support” regarding the "concerning plan".
She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that it was an “absolute abomination” that legislation had been approved in 2020, allowing two additional storeys to be built on properties consisting of at least two levels.
She said: “I will be writing to the local authority with my objections.
“The site is in a terrible state of disrepair, gutters are blocked up with silt and parking is an issue.
“I’ll also be speaking with our Shadow Front Bench team as we need to put as much pressure on as possible with this, it’s not a fait accompli.”
Ms Barker, who was elected in 2019, said giving the go-ahead to the proposal would have a “knock-on effect” on developments of its kind moving forward.
She added: “There’s a lovely close knit community there, if this goes ahead it’ll be a slippery slope.”
Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram told residents via email, seen by the LDRS, that he was “sorry” to hear of the circumstances they faced but was not able to intervene in planning issues.
A supporting statement submitted as part of the application outlines that the flats provide "small sized (one and two bed flats) in an area that has limited availability of previously developed or underdeveloped land for accomodating such development" and the addition of nine additional flats is "not considered to have an impact" on local infrastructure or service provision.
The proposals are expected to go before Liverpool Council’s planning committee later this year.
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