Cherry Tree deadlock

THE owners of Liscard's Cherry Tree Centre are to request an urgent meeting with councillors to resolve the deadlock over plans to expand the centre.

The News reported last week that a £4m scheme to build new shops and a two-storey car park at the centre - scheduled to begin in September - has been put on hold after a dispute between the two sides.

Parkwood Properties, the company which owns the shopping centre, has planning permission to build the extension, but Wirral Council currently holds a ten-year lease on the centre's car park, which is the site of much of the building work.

Parkwood has offered the council £500,000 to buy out the lease, but at a cabinet meeting two weeks ago Liberal Democrat and Conservative councillors joined forces to reject the offer, saying it was not enough.

The car park is thought to generate £110,000 a year in revenue from car parking charges.

Robert Maxted, of Parkwood Properties, told Wirral News Group : " We ' ve made changes, we ' ve accepted what the local residents have said but we can't proceed without this; it is not a small issue.

"If the council wants to see the centre expanded we have to reach an agreement over this.

"I'm quite happy to go and see the councillors and make a presentation to see if it will change their minds.

"What's frustrating is that the centre needs more retailers.

"It needs to be bigger and it needs to be able to compete. Smaller shopping centres are dying because of out-of-town retail and we have to protect Liscard town centre."

Liscard's councillors spent the weekend collecting signatures on a petition demanding agreement is reached over the issue.

Cllr Dave Hawkins said: "It is obvious to anyone that the loss of around £100,000 in parking revenue would be easily off-set by the income from business rates alone.

"We may well get the developer to 'cough up' but the risks are enormous - the members of the cabinet who voted this way have shown no regard for the future of Liscard."

Liberal Democrat and Conservative councillors have stressed their commitment to the regeneration of Liscard but say the council would lose out financially if it were to accept Parkwood's current offer.