In our July 2015 Newsletter (No.206) we mentioned Planning Application 15F/1249, which proposed the building of 26 dwellings on former railway land (opposite 120 Wellington Road) adjacent to Wellington Playground. This triangle of scrubland has never had buildings on it, and is classified as Green Space in the Liverpool UDP (Unitary Development Plan). The owners were planning to remove the embanked material and lay out an estate of detached and semi-detached houses alongside Wellington Road. We lodged an objection on the grounds that the land has visual amenity value as a wooded backdrop to Wavertree Playground, and nature conservation value owing to the wildlife it supports.

Despite the objections from ourselves and others, planning permission was granted - partly because, in the opinion of the Council's planning officers, the scheme would "add to the variety of housing available in the locality" and its landscaping would "interact and work with the adjacent park".

In July 2016 a further planning application was submitted (ref. 16O/1120). This proposed - as an alternative to the 26 houses - the building of four apartment blocks ranging from 4 to 6 storeys in height, and containing a total of 106 flats, surrounded by car parking spaces, bin stores and cycle sheds. Once again we submitted an objection, commenting that the proposal would have a wholly negative impact on its surroundings and would add to the traffic congestion on Wellington Road.

The second planning application was WITHDRAWN in December 2016. It remains to be seen whether a further-revised plan will now be submitted.