Liverpool Housing Action Trust has been working on its Olive Mount Masterplan (see Newsletter 136) and aims to submit a planning application very soon. We wrote to the Leader of the City Council, Mike Storey, expressing concern that the Council appeared to be backing a plan which included the destruction of designated Greenspace, i.e. the grounds and playing fields of the Olive Mount school. Councillor Storey replied (jointly with Cllr Warren Bradley) as follows:

'There is no question as to the necessity of providing more appropriate homes for the LHAT residents. The poor condition of the blocks, cost of repairs and (more importantly) the age and associated housing and care needs of tenants is a determining factor in taking the opportunity of a more suitable location... At the same time ... demand for the LCC stock has decreased dramatically and the flats could potentially cause blight in the area ... Overall, the masterplan is pro-active in its aims to stabilise and regenerate the community and invest resources to provide more suitable homes. Such investment is vital to provide a long term sustainable community and it would appear to be more sensible to plan ahead instead of waiting for the existing properties to decline further along with all the associated blight, nuisance and decay.'

We know that the Olive Mount Residents Association is strongly opposed to the plans for the school site, and that some of the LHAT's tenants are strongly opposed to the demolition of Olive Mount Heights (the spectacular views from which were featured in Jim Hart's slide show). The Society's Committee will be discussing and commenting upon the planning application when it is submitted.