£4m Shopping Centre Scheme Is Postponed

A MULTI-MILLION pound expansion of shopping facilities in Liscard will not be awarded planning permission until further talks take place between developers and residents.

Proposals to build seven new retail units and a two-storey car park on the Cherry Tree Centre car park in Mill Lane, at a cost of £4m, went before planners last week.

Planning committee members had been expected to give it the go-ahead but deferred their decision after residents expressed concerns about security and delivery times.

Bill Morrow, a representative of residents from Liscard House, said: "We feel the development will create a lot of noise and pollution and we are also concerned that it would restrict the light to the lower flats.

"Even now there are children on the roof of the Cherry Tree Centre and we believe problems of anti-social behaviour would only get worse if a multi-storey car park is built.

"We have a communal garden at the side of Liscard House but what will happen to that when you get all the lorries and service vans coming in?"

Representatives for the developers spoke at the meeting to reassure members that the new car park would be locked at night.

They also promised money to move the garden at Liscard House and pledged to continue working with residents to allay their fears.

Liscard councillor Dave Hawkins welcomed the delay but said he hoped some form of development would eventually take place.

He told the News: "I'm glad this plan has been deferred rather than just accepting it as it is now. I would welcome a development because Liscard does need regenerating but it has to be right for the people who live here.

"I think the residents have got genuine concerns over anti-social behaviour and a multi-storey car park will attract quite a lot of problems.

"I hope the developers will now get into a proper dialogue with ourselves and the residents and find a solution that most people will be happy with." Pat Story, of Colman Architects, attended the meeting on behalf of the applicants.

He said: "It's a shame that the committee have chosen to defer this. We have already had discussions with planners about delivery and opening times and this could have been sorted out tonight."