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NOW YOU SEE IT -
NOW YOU DON'T?
As is well known (and fully documented in the special Olive Mount section of our website) the Wavertree Society was strongly opposed to the development of housing on so much of the Olive Mount Secondary School site, which had been designated as Greenspace in the City Council's Unitary Development Plan. However, planning permission was granted - the Council's argument being that the need to 'regenerate' the area, and re-house the occupants of the condemned Olive Mount Heights tower blocks, outweighed the loss of the school's landscaped grounds and playing fields.
Among the benefits claimed by the Council was the fact that the eighteenth century mansion known as Olive Mount - a Listed Building - would be exposed to public view instead of being hidden away behind the flats. And indeed, when the bulldozers and diggers moved in last spring to demolish the three towers, the cream sandstone façade became visible from the Childwall Road direction for the first time in over 40 years.
Now, however, Messrs Wimpey have submitted a planning application (ref. 06F/2476) to build new houses and apartments on the site of the demolished Olive Mount Heights. Although it was not made clear on the submitted drawings, we discovered that the plan is to build two large apartment blocks directly in front of the Listed Building, which as far as we are concerned will detract from its newly-revealed hillside setting.
We have lodged an objection, asking for detailed drawings to be produced showing what the effect on views from various directions will be, and for the plans to be re-drawn as necessary to minimise the impact on the setting of the Listed Building.
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