The mayor of Liverpool has called the decision of Eric Pickles to turn down the proposed regeneration of the Welsh Streets as ‘unacceptable, dishonourable and completely perverse’.
Joe Anderson said the plans had already been given the green light by an independent planning inspector and were backed by 70% of the local community.
Mayor Anderson said: ‘I was prepared to abide by the decision of an independent inspector even if it had gone against us, but it is unacceptable, dishonourable and completely perverse for Eric Pickles to continue to ignore local leadership, local people and then hold and pay for an independent Public Inquiry using taxpayers money, which he then ignores for naked political posturing.
‘Yet again, this Government talks about localism but then interferes in the wishes of local people. It is absolutely appalling and smacks of the very worst type of political interference from Whitehall.’
The scheme included proposals to demolish 271 damp and run down homes and replace them with 154 new houses. Another 37 terraced properties would also have been refurbished. The Welsh Streets plans formed part of the wider regeneration of the Princes Park neighbourhood.
