First part of £200m Edge Lane redevelopment jigsaw set for approval
The first part of a £200m key regeneration project in Liverpool’s Edge Lane will move a step closer next week.
Derwent Holdings, which owns the retail park and a number of sites on the dual carriageway, wants to create a 600,000 sq ft shopping park – 40% bigger than present.
Under the plans all the existing shops on the 100-acre Edge Lane retail park site would be torn down and new, higher quality units built to replace them.
The retail park is part of a package of projects being delivered on land owned by Derwent including an extension to Mersey Care’s mental health Rathbone Hospital, a larger “Victorian” style park to replace Rathbone Park and a “grot-spot” free zone.
Next week the city council’s planning committee is being asked to approve the plans for the Rathbone Hospital extension.
“The proposals form part of a package of much wider regeneration and investment proposals for Edge Lane, ultimately resulting in the redevelopment of Edge Lane retail park,” states a report to the planning committee.
Derwent plans to submit a planning application for the retail element by the end of September. Architects have designed double-fronted shops accessible from Edge Lane itself, as well as from car parks inside the retail park.
This will, Derwent said, turn one of the key gateways into the city into an attractive boulevard.
Affected businesses will be moved to the north side of Edge Lane. The two-level car parks will be hidden so they cannot be seen from the road.
The council and Derwent, owned by reclusive multi-millionaire Albert Gubay who made his fortune with Kwik Save, have previously clashed over the state of the company’s eyesore holdings in Edge Lane. The project has been the subject of a bitter, long-running dispute between the council and Derwent.
One of the first action’s of the new Labour council was to ditch lingering legal action by Liverpool city council against Derwent. In a reciprocal arrangement Derwent has also withdrawn its own claims against the council.
Council leader Joe Anderson had intended to fly to the Isle of Mann to meet Mr Gubay and discuss his plans, but his flight was cancelled at the last minute.
The new health facilities will be built on the former Ian Skelly car showroom site which is now derelict, the vacant Carpet World building, a Subway restaurant and a Blockbusters video shop.
The new development would have between 60 and 90 beds, offices, and a cafe. Around 150 car parking spaces would be provided
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