LIVERPOOL’S new £1bn shopping development will not be significantly affected if Everton FC and Tesco’s plans go ahead in Kirkby, according to its owners.
But Graham Stock, representing Liverpool One developers Grosvenor, told the public inquiry into Destination Kirkby yesterday that the rest of Liverpool city centre would suffer a dramatic impact at a very bad time.
He said: “The inappropriately large scale of development proposed for Kirkby will have arguably one of its greatest negative effects upon Liverpool City Centre.”
This, he said, was against regional planning policies which put “Liverpool at the pinnacle of the retail hierarchy, and at the top of the list of priorities for investment.”
If the scheme goes ahead Kirkby will go from having 20,000 sqm to some 70,000 sqm of retail.
Mr Stock said: “It is inconceivable that such a step change in provision of retail floorspace would not have serious effects upon retail patterns just at a time when Liverpool city centre has received the long-awaited investment that it requires in order to safeguard and enhance its future health and vitality.”
This is unacceptable, he said, when you consider that this is “one scheme in one small town centre”.
Patrick Clarkson, QC for Everton and Tesco, returned to some evidence supplied earlier in the inquiry which claimed Liverpool One would not suffer.
Mr Stock confirmed that he did not think Liverpool One was at risk as a result of these proposals.
But he told planning inspector Wendy Burden that money that should have been spent in Liverpool as a result of his company’s investment would now be “clawed back” – spent elsewhere.
As a result the massive attempts Liverpool City Council and Grosvenor had made to restore Liverpool “to its rightful place in the retail hierarchy” would be hampered.
He said the current economic downturn meant there should be caution in agreeing more retail floor space as it would be even more difficult to secure the required turnover.
