A small housing estate could be built in Garston eight years after a similar development failed to materialise.
Liverpool City Council received an application this week for 15 new houses and a communal car park to be built on an empty patch of grassland opposite the Grade II listed St Michael's Church on Church Road, Garston.
The plans, submitted by South Liverpool Homes housing association, would see 13 two-storey terraced and semi-detached houses and two bungalows built on the site, which used to house several industrial buildings and a pub, The Blackburn Arms. Six of the two- and three-bed houses are proposed to fall under the Rent to Buy scheme, with all other properties being made available for Affordable Rent.
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In 2015, the council granted permission for 16 new houses to be built on the disused land – but the development did not go ahead.
In a heritage statement, architects Halsall Lloyd Partnerships submitted that the new proposals would not significantly impact the neighbouring church, which was built between 1875 and 1877, and falls under the protection of Heritage England.
They said: "The proposed development, as designed, is consistent with historical proposals for the site in terms of site layout, scale and appearance, and is not considered to cause any greater harm than that which has already been assessed and approved by the Local Planning Authority.
"Key views within the immediate area to St Michael’s Church have been identified and it has been determined that these views will remain unaffected by the proposed development. Having considered the proposed works and resultant impact on the listed buildings, we believe the proposed development would not cause excessive or detrimental impact on the buildings or the immediate area."
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