Developers admit 'errors'
DEVELOPERS behind controversial proposals to build houses on a former school site have apologised for a mistake which enraged hospital campaigners.Plans submitted to Wirral Council for the proposed development on Marymount Convent School in Love Lane, Wallasey, originally showed that an access road between the school and neighbouring Victoria Central Hospital, which is used by emergency vehicles, would be lost in any development.
This enraged campaigners who fought for more than a year to keep adjacent Wards Six and Seven open.
Turley Associates have now admitted their plans were wrong and blamed "drafting errors".
Sarah Jones from the company said: "At the moment there isn't a developer or an architect fully on board who would be able to fully determine the relationship of the dwellings to the hospital site".
"But the application plans originally submitted did include drafting errors and I apologise for that."
A revised version of the plans won outline planning permission last week.
But campaigners and politicians are still concerned about the impact of any residential development on VCH and wards six and seven in particular.
They believe it could "open the floodgates" to other developers who could target the mothballed wards.
Kathy Doran, chief executive of Birkenhead & Wallasey PCT, said last year that there were no plans to use VCH for anything other than health and social care.
But Liscard councillor Dave Hawkins said: "If the development goes ahead the over-looking problem would cause major problems for wards that cater for the elderly.
"I have grave concerns that this outline planning application is the tip of the iceberg and that it will only be a matter of time before developers target the site of the wards."