In 1915, a contributor to 'The Thingwallian' - the residents' fortnightly magazine - wrote: "I have heard it said that when garden suburbs have existed some years they will degenerate. I don't believe it, but at any rate let us be sure that the Wavertree Garden Suburb will not. Let it stand as a beacon light of fraternity, of good, wise and healthy living, and then truly we shall be pioneers of a good and worthy object".

In 1974 - when special planning controls within the Conservation Area were first introduced - Liverpool's City Planning Officer wrote: "Wavertree Garden Suburb is now over sixty years old and in some cases unsympathetic alterations over the years to the houses, hedges, gates and footpaths have altered the appearance of the Suburb for the worse. If this continues the character of the Suburb will disappear and an important example of good civic design and town planning will be lost".