Showing posts with label Littlewoods. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Littlewoods. Show all posts

Monday, 3 September 2018

Littlewoods Goes On Fire-It Was Torched.


Just months after it was announced that Chanel 4 would not be locating its news service to Liverpool. The Littlewoods building touted as being a new digital media centre for the film industry in Liverpool is torched.
What an advert for Liverpool.
We have been warning of this for years.
The developers say they were about to create The Dream factory. Only now its a nightmare.
At the time there were angry and nasty comments from councillors towards Chanel 4, including vile comments from the Mayor.
Now Littlewoods goes up in flames. Its a disgrace. This was a fine Art Deco structure that was in good condition that just needed a bit of care with a sympathetic scheme. The whole area was crying out for this to happen.
The Luftwaffe missed it, well they may have got a bit of it.
But now its been torched. Police have confirmed it.
Now its in a worse condition than if Goering had of got it.
Questions need to be asked as to why there is a frequent event of buildings going up in flames in Liverpool......just as they are about to be redeveloped.
Wolthamstone square is a recent one that springs to mind.
Part of that caught light by combustion, on its own, allegedly without any help.
Oh yes tell us another one. Just like the other one.
Owned by one of Joe Anderson's mates Eliot, it allegedly caught fire in the middle of the night. Its now set to become, guess what, Student Flats.
We have worked long and hard to bring this structure The Littlewoods Building the old Pools Headquarters to the attention of the public, not just locally but nationally. And now the whole country knows about it. For all the wrong reasons.
The owner or a representative from Capital and Centric was on BBC lunchtime news saying the scheme will go ahead.
Only now the job will be easier.
Joe Anderson crying his crocodile tears saying he is heartbroken will now say we need to get it up and running and redeveloped.
And it will now be an easier, and a cheaper job to carry out
And will it have a big ugly carbuncle stuck on the top of it?
Replacing the lack of a torched roof that isn't there anymore?
That's where the cash is, in building upwards just like Lawrence Kenwright another mate of Joe Anderson did, on The Shankly Hotel, in the town centre.
Because that's what Liverpool does, creates eyesores where there was beauty.
They have already developed part of the Littlewoods site called The Bunker.
Yes we all need tin hats on in this area. Its like a war zone now.
Incidentally we wrote about The real Bunker on the Littlewoods Site that had period murals on the walls, a piece of Liverpool history from the blitz a real bunker.
What happened to that? No one seems to care.
The police will need to investigate how a fire started in an empty building and then spread like wildfire of a Sunday when Joe Andersons Fire Brigade cutbacks that he blames the Tories for is at its most acute.
He blamed cutbacks for losing the car park next to the Oldham Echo Arena.
So why was the fire not brought under control more quickly.
The fire brigade say they responded quickly. Well not quick enough.
How many appliances were on the site within 5 minutes?
Six appliances were not enough.
Will there be any evidence?? The fire brigade say it was arson.
One of the by passers says he heard an explosion.
There will be no recriminations by the council they will just accept it and move on like they did when the boathouse in Sefton Park was torched and they built a modern building in its place.
Easier than restoring a new one.
Then we will wait for the next historic building that goes on fire or is accidentally knocked down by a bulldozer.
Couldn't the developers even spent the minimum wage to employ a cocky watchman.
Or did they, and where was he?
How did an arsonist get in the building?

This building should be taken off the current developers.

CPO'd like what happened to the rest of Edge Lane.

No, the council will probably give them a grant.

Only in Liverpool could this happen.

The Shankly Hotel

Monday, 21 November 2016

Littlewoods Edge Lane-Are They Waiting For It To Fall Down?

Promises, Promises and even more promises. 
Unfortunately these were from Joe Anderson and his corrupt planners so they mean nothing.
Consistently they have told us it will be sorted out and restored.
Instead they build another building on the land and are leaving this fine Art Deco structure to rot away.

Next thing they will be saying its too far gone like they did with The Lime Street Con.

The City Council need to get hold of this and pay attention to its state of repair.

THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR FAR TOO LONG NOW.

http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/littlewoods-edge-lane-why-is-this-still.html

http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/littlewoods-edge-lane-rotting-away-this.html

http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.co.uk/2009/06/littlewoods-edge-lane.html

http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/littlewoods-edge-lane-rotting-away-this.html

Here is where the Echo says its saved........IN 2009!
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.co.uk/2009/06/littlewoods-edge-lane-still-in-peril.html  


 YES IN 2009. Are they doing the fat Mans job for him?
SOMEONE NEEDS TO STOP THE ROT AT THE ECHO.


http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/urban-splashare-they-drowning-in-debt.html
Grant farming Urban Splash had it once.

Monday, 26 October 2015

Littlewoods Edge Lane-Why Is This Still Allowed To Decay?

Littlewoods Edge Lane-The Decay Really Sets In Hard.

There was a scheme to relocate a school in the Littlewoods building in Edge Lane. This is now off. This Art Deco building should have been the site for the new museum of Liverpool, instead of ruining the world heritage site. English Heritage said the area should have been made a conservation area but with Mike Storey as Liverpool Land company top dog it was always going to be spivved to a cosy developer such as Urban Splash. They have now abandoned the idea. It was and still may be owned by the North Vested Interest Development Agency which means that we are watching it decay week by week. When will it fall down.

Now the proposed relocation of a school inside is off with the announcement of huge budget cuts.
Major projects scrapped include the moving of two Church of England secondaries, Sefton Park’s St Hilda’s and city-centre based Archbishop Blanch into the iconic Littlewoods building within Edge Lane’s Innovation Park. http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2010/07/06/black-day-for-liverpool-education-as-tories-and-lib-dems-scrap-350m-school-rebuilding-programme-92534-26792438/ The Daily Ghost reports. Incidently theschools involved said they did not want to move.
Previously they had heraded the idea as wonderful claiming the building had been saved.

We did not quite agree.


Wednesday, 30 May 2012

Littlewoods Edge Lane-Rotting Away, This Building Needs Help.

Private Eye's 'Piloti' again takes an interest in the forlorn hope that is The Littlewoods Building Edge Lane.
SAVE Britain's Heritage chip in with what they are good at saying
"Government Agencies need to show Liverpools Commercial Heritage its proper respect and we call on Eric Pickles to insist his HCA civil servants guarantee this majestic buildings future".

While Joe Anderson and his press office The Liverpeel Daily Post & Echo are telling everyone how wonderful it will be to lose the WHS by building over the Central Docks they have forgotten there is a need to quantify what we are allowing to rot in this city. Why not create jobs in Edge Lane.

The press did take an interest in this building when Wayne saved it from demolition by getting assurances from the then Council leader and committee member of the NWDA Mike Storey.
The NWDA then bought it.
 Wayne made an application to have it listed and Marcus Binney of SAVE added his weight to the need to list it. The c20society also supported this application.
But there it is rotting.
It should have been the new Museum of Liverpool and that would have regenerated the area but it was too important an issue to Mike Storey that he was hellbent on destroying the unique character of Liverpool's World Heritage Site that he ignored Wayne plea.


http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/there-was-scheme-to-relocate-school-in.html
There was talk of making it into a school.
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.co.uk/2009/06/littlewoods-edge-lane.html

Liverpool's Regeneration Game
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/liverpools-regeneration-game.html

Urban Splash claimed they saved it.
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/urban-splashare-they-drowning-in-debt.html

Monday, 22 August 2011

Call This Regeneration? Liverpool Lime Street A Disgrace.

 Regeneration, Regeneration, Regeneration.
We even have a Regeneration Officer (Code for lets help Peel Holdings) by the name of Malcolm Kennedy.
Those in charge of Regeneration seem to concentrate on all the easy jobs while the old stock falls down.
The Futurist, that's Ironic, is a mess, left to rot while being so close to the world heritage site it may as well be in it.
Last I heard it was being left to fall down by Neptune Developments who wanted to develop the site. On one end of this block we have the Grapes (this block is next to the Adelphi) and the other end the Vines, both listed buildings because of their architectural merit.
While we are being spoon fed about Liverpool's (false) new dawn those in charge of Regeneration watch while whole blocks lay in decay. Is it a tried and tested plan. Let it fall down, the city council wont use their powers to have the building kept in a good state of repair. Then the developers claim it is in such a bad condition that the only thing to do is knock our historic pieces of architecture down and then build a modern block of flats. Just to the side of this is the Grade II listed ABC Cinema that those Urban Splash people said they were going to restore ......and then didnt, is rotting away.


As is Littlewoods on Edge Lane that we saved from demolition, only to see it lay empty. 
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/07/there-was-scheme-to-relocate-school-in.html

If only those in charge of Regeneration really were genuine and sincere in the job in hand and stopped dodgy developers in this city letting our historic architectural stock fall down by serving them repair notices.

Friday, 11 March 2011

Liverpools Regeneration Game- Littlewoods Edge Lane.

I made an application this list this Art Deco Building nearly a decade ago, I did my best to draw attentionm to its merits. It was saved from demolition.
 It now lies rotting.
Dis-Owned by the North "Vested Interest" Development Agency its gone no-where, and now is letting water in.
Mike Storey who was on the NWDA and the Liverpool Land Company at the time has a lot to answer for here.
 Despite English Heritage Inspector Hawkins stating the area should be considered a conservation area, he hid it under the table, there was no effort whatsoever to uphold the English Heretic decision. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/03/pathfinders-edge-lane-road-to-nowhere.html
Repossess It Quickly I say despite the Local papers waking up now the NWDA want to repo it, its too late. Get it sold to someone who wants it before it falls down.
http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2011/03/11/government-land-grab-to-sell-off-liverpool-sites-and-keep-the-cash-92534-28316852/ The local papers champions of Liverpool....eh!


http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/views/liverpool-daily-post/2011/03/04/what-became-of-public-s-right-to-know-92534-28277153/ Right on...eh!
For ten years there has been no effort to restore it.
Urban Splash who were the development darlings, now the bankrupted clowns, after they and the English Heretics ruined Parkhill, (which was awful anyway) proposed a scheme for the building.


http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/05/dr-simon-thurley-and-restoration-of.html
  Its painfull watching the Heretics at work, especially Basil Thurley the then CE.
 http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/10/urban-splash-bubble-bursts-so-tom.html

http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2007/10/24/developers-save-littlewoods-building-64375-19998780/


They tried to placate public opinion with the scheme with a dumb scheme for a school. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/06/littlewoods-edge-lane.html
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/07/there-was-scheme-to-relocate-school-in.html
All this while Joe Anderson does all he can to help his property development friends of Edge Lane. http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2011/03/10/edge-lane-retail-park-revamp-will-not-face-public-inquiry-92534-28310965/
It seems we have replaced Mike Storey with another....Mike Storey.

I also made an application to list Turning the Place Over by Richard Wilson http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/04/turning-place-over-by-richard-wilson.html

I didn't see the local press taking that much of an interest then. Better late than never.

Wednesday, 6 October 2010

St Cyprians Church, Edge Lane-Are They Going To Knock It Down?

Here is the start, an application to remove a war memorial. (Part retrospective application). Have they already moved it?
The application says Durning Road.......how convenient, it does not draw as much attention.
This is an application is by Liverpool (lack of) Vision, the Quango.
Someone needs to look into this before they stealth it away from us and drive a road over it.
Littlewoods Building still lies empty just up the road.

Tuesday, 5 October 2010

Urban Splash-The Bubble Bursts So Tom Bloxham Attempts To Blow Up Another "Grant Aided" One.

SIR BOB KERSLAKE PARTIES WITH TOM BLOXHAM IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE

Star date: 20th September 2010
A Salford Star Exclusive
SIR BOB KERSLAKE, TOM BLOXHAM AND THE BUBBLE HOUSE PARTY IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE
"There's more scope for the private and public sectors to work together more closely" Tom Bloxham, Urban Splash
Sir Bob Kerslake, Chief Exec of the Homes and Communities Agency, partied at Tom Bloxham's opulent bubble house in the South of France, weeks before he took up his post as head of the public agency that deals with affordable housing.
The Homes and Community Agency has since, we estimate, handed over £60million to schemes associated with Tom Bloxham's Urban Splash…

http://www.salfordstar.com/article.asp?id=686  Full Story Here
.

Urban Splash have left the city high and dry, after all the promises to renovate the Littlewoods Building on Edge Lane ....with massive grant aid, then the loyalties switch to public housing
This has been exposed by the Salford Star who keep their fingers on the pulse. They keep an eye on Peel Holdings alright and are what we would say old fashioned go getting style exposing the truth. We have to respect this in the age of advertorial reporting.
Urban Splash have been the darling of the property boom....well in some peoples eyes, usually the people giving out the grants.
But the bubble has burst now the Salford Star shows them up for what they are, Grant Merchants funded by the public purse from the inception. Now
trying to re-inflate themselves, while Littlewoods promises are renaged upon and the place goes downhill.
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/07/there-was-scheme-to-relocate-school-in.html

http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/08/urban-splashare-they-drowning-in-debt.html

Look what they and English Heritage did to Parkhill http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/05/dr-simon-thurley-and-restoration-of.html

I was at the Midland Hotel in Morcambe a few weeks ago, which I had a private tour before work started. It could only be described as a average renovation designed to maximise grant aid for Urban Splash and it shows.

Wake up these are not the jolly good fellows they are portrayed as.

Salford Star goes on showing a picture of Sir Bob and Tom Bloxham together........partying, well whats wrong with that, I imply nothing.

Sir Bob Kerslake, salary £223,300 (inc taxable allowances), is currently head of the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) which handles multi billion pound budgets of public money for things like affordable housing, supposedly to help those on low incomes.


Just over two weeks before Sir Bob took up his post as designate head of the HCA in March 2008 he was in the South of France, at the international property bash MIPIM, and attended a no expense spared party at Tom Bloxham's exclusive bubble house high in the hills near Nice.

In the three years since the HCA has been in existence, Tom Bloxham's Urban Splash schemes have, we estimate, received over £60million in grants from the HCA, including money for the Chimney Pot Park upside down houses in Langworthy, Salford, the Lakeshore development in Bristol, Longlands Mill in Stalybridge, New Islington in Manchester and the massive Park Hill flats regeneration in Sheffield, where Sir Bob Kerslake was formerly Chief Executive of Sheffield Council.

The Salford Star wishes to make clear that it is not inferring any link between Sir Bob Kerslake partying at Tom Bloxham's opulent bubble house in the South of France and Bloxham's company Urban Splash receiving, we estimate, over £60million in public subsidies for many of its failing housing schemes.
The Salford Star is just questioning whether it was appropriate for the head of the government's social housing programme to accept hospitality from a potential recipient of HCA funding weeks before he took up his designate post as head of the HCA.

We asked the Homes and Communities Agency to get us a quote from Sir Bob Kerslake on, firstly, whether he thought it was appropriate that he was a guest of Tom Bloxham at the house in the South of France? And, secondly, what he thought the reaction would be from Salford people who live in the regeneration area of Langworthy where Urban Splash has funding from the HCA?

Unfortunately, he didn't get back to us but a spokesman for the HCA said:

"Tom Bloxham hosts an event every year for MIPIM conference delegates, on behalf of Urban Splash. Sir Bob Kerslake attended in March 2008, prior to taking up his role as Chief Executive Designate of the Homes and Communities Agency. The HCA started as an agency on 1 December 2008. Sir Bob has not attended this event during the last two years whilst being Chief Executive of the HCA."

• MIPIM 2008 ran 11-14th March. Sir Bob took up his post with the HCA on 31st March 2008.
• Quote from Nick Johnson, Urban Splash deputy chief executive, on hearing that Sir Bob Kerslake had got the job of Chief Exec of the HCA in 2008 (as told to building.co.uk) "He's fantastic, basically. I simply can't think of anyone better."
• Nick Johnson also sits on the Homes and Communities Agency Design and Sustainability Advisory Group.

• Urban Splash, we understand, made a post tax loss of £39million in 2008/9 and £10million in 2009/10.
• Tom Bloxham told Property Week in May this year: "I believe these to be well designed, award-winning homes. The question is if you don't finish them, what are you left with? Blight. You can't just do nothing. There has to be money spent. It seems an eminently sensible way forward to me...There's more scope for the private and public sectors to work together more closely"

• Sir Bob Kerslake's HCA has a budget of £9billion for affordable homes between 2008-11
• Urban Splash has recently been accredited by the HCA as a landlord of affordable homes.
• Sir Bob Kerslake is about to leave the Homes and Communities Agency to drive through the ConDem Coalition government's agenda at the Department of Communities and Local Government as Permanent Secretary
Also in attendance at Tom Bloxham's party at the bubble house in March 2008 was Richard Simmons (salary £128,175), chief executive of CABE (Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment), another public agency which, amongst other things, helps "public bodies to commission better design".

• Nick Johnson, deputy chief executive of Urban Splash, is a CABE commissioner (salary £6000) and is CABE's "joint housing champion".
• CABE leads an initiative called Building For Life, a national standard for well-designed homes and neighbourhoods which is assessed on criteria such as closeness to transport links, community facilities and how well they fit in with the character of the area. Urban Splash achieved a Gold Standard in 2009 for the Chimney Pot Park development, amongst many other Building For Life awards (the Salford Star wishes to make clear that it is not infering any link between Richard Simmons attending Tom Bloxham's private party at the bubble house and Urban Splash winning any CABE awards)

The Salford Star has an interview with Tom Bloxham, plus a huge exclusive story on Urban Splash which will be published in the next printed issue of the magazine. If you would like to read this story please help us to get a printed issue out.

* Our main photo shows Sir Bob Kerslake chatting with Tom Bloxham at the Bubble House in the South of France. http://www.salfordstar.com/article.asp?id=686 Thanks to Salford Star for helping advise us where your taxes go............right into Tom Bloxhams pocket, we effectivly bought his house in the South of France, I bet you that doesnt need doing up..

Tuesday, 6 July 2010

Littlewoods Edge Lane-The Decay Really Sets In Hard.

There was a scheme to relocate a school in the Littlewoods building in Edge Lane. This is now off. This Art Deco building should have been the site for the new museum of Liverpool, instead of ruining the world heritage site. English Heritage said the area should have been made a conservation area but with Mike Storey as Liverpool Land company top dog it was always going to be spivved to a cosy developer such as Urban Splash. They have now abandoned the idea. It was and still may be owned by the North Vested Interest Development Agency which means that we are watching it decay week by week. When will it fall down.

Now the proposed relocation of a school inside is off with the announcement of huge budget cuts.
Major projects scrapped include the moving of two Church of England secondaries, Sefton Park’s St Hilda’s and city-centre based Archbishop Blanch into the iconic Littlewoods building within Edge Lane’s Innovation Park. http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2010/07/06/black-day-for-liverpool-education-as-tories-and-lib-dems-scrap-350m-school-rebuilding-programme-92534-26792438/ The Daily Ghost reports. Incidently theschools involved said they did not want to move.
Previously they had heraded the idea as wonderful claiming the building had been saved.

We did not quite agree.


Monday, 24 May 2010

Littlewoods Building Edge Lane-The Decay Continues. Why?

Cllr Joe Anderson is making a trip to the Isle of Man to see reclusive businessman Albert Gubay, who owns Edge Lane Retail Park. Earlier this year, relations between the Fib-Dem council and the company started to thaw and Cllr Anderson said he was keen to meet Mr Gubay to make sure the scheme stayed on track. He said: “I have asked for a meeting with Mr Gubay and I am going to see him with the council’s executive director for regeneration, John Kelly.

“We are meeting him and his representatives to discuss the future of Edge Lane Retail Park because it is a vital part in the jigsaw in terms of the regeneration of Liverpool.
“I have called for a halt to the legal action between the council and his company, and they have agreed to reciprocate and withdraw their legal action against the council. This is a man and a company which wants to invest in Liverpool to create jobs and help us regenerate our city. We have to find a solution to areas of disagreement and that is what I intend to do. I am optimistic we can reach an agreement.”
Derwent wants to build a retail park with around 600,000 sq ft shopping space, half the size it originally hoped for.He said it was “ludicrous” for both sides to attempt to sue each other.

Mr Taylor added: “We never wanted to end up in court with the city council and cancelling the legal action is a pragmatic, common-sense approach. We have a saying in the office, ‘let’s crack on and get it done’, and we get that feeling from the city council now. We look forward to working with the council and Cllr Anderson to make this scheme happen.”
The current retail park is around 430,000 sq ft, meaning the new shops will total 170,000 sq ft more than the current site.Derwent is also offering a number of “sweeteners” for their part of the deal.
The concessions include an extension to Mersey Care’s Rathbone Hospital; a larger “Victorian” style park to replace Wavertree’s Rathbone Park; and a “grotspot-free” zone.
Meanwhile the Littlewoods Building lies empty crumbling.
Joe Anderson has appointed a cabinet member for regeneration and development. But what about the historic side of Liverpools fabric. I sincerely hope Joe is not going to be another property developers spiv like the last few council leaders.
The trouble here goes back some time and for some reason the council were hostile to Gubay.
Too late for Elizebeth Pasco though forcably ejected from her house by Labour Pathfider policies. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/03/pathfinders-edge-lane-road-to-nowhere.html
Bernie Turner, Liverpools Mastermind, http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/11/berni-turner-liverpools-so-called.html who in my opinion is a heritage fraud watching as buildings fall down, while masquerading as a English Heretic Environment champion http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/08/lets-take-sentimental-journey-with.html She said the Judge needed a good slapping who ruled against the council in a Council-v-Gubay spat.
So the Littlewooods Building decays while they plan to throw another load of B&Q sheds up, and no-one seems to care. English Heritage Inspecter Hawkins said this should be made a Conservation area, but Mike Storey as the then Council leader and NWDA committee member, and Liverpool Land Company executive member had other ideas. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/06/littlewoods-edge-lane.html
Instead the North Vested Interest Development Agency bought it and proposed to kock it out to Urban Splash after a secret competition where they just announced the winner won the deal to develop it.  A bit like the secret competition for new museum on the Pier Head. This building on Edge Lane should have been the new museum, right next to the historic Edge Lane Railway Station. That would have given the area a chance instead of destroying the World Heritage Site.
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/08/urban-splashare-they-drowning-in-debt.html
And Urban Splash have done nothing.
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/06/littlewoods-edge-lane.html

Come on Joe get some action going on the Littlewoods Building before the decay goes too far.

Thursday, 25 February 2010

Liverpool Museums-How Much Have They Paid Off 3XN.

After yesterdays bombshell about the Liverpool Museums wasting £750,000,000 of our cash. I was asked to give my opinion on BBC Northwest Tonight.
They only wanted a soundbite of course to which I duly did. I had, congratulated Ben Schofield on his reporting. I had said before this museum if it was to go ahead should have been in the Littlewoods Building on Edge Lane. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/search/label/Littlewoods which we saved from demolition under the ownership of the North "Vested Interest" Development Agency,(NWDA). It was perfect and would have stimulated the whole area and left the world heritage site alone.
The Daily Post recieved a full and lengthy letter from David "Fuzzy Felt" Fleming complaining how he got some things, as he said, wrong. He would say that. He never, it was consise, but it is with intimidation that Tin Pot Director of NML, "Fuzzy" functions. Well Done Ben and shock horror a true headline in the Echo. http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news//2010/02/24/revealed-tax-payer-funded-national-museums-liverpool-paid-out-750k-for-spoiling-a-waterfront-view-100252-25901760/
David Phleming is an avid reader of this blog and it is here we are to announce that a letter has gone off to the audit commission asking for a full and frank investigation into the covenants matter and how such huge amounts of public money are being wasted. We understand that it was not just a covenant but a act of Parliament dating back to 1872 that may have been breached and a Private Act (Mersey Docks & Harbour Board River Approaches)Act may have been breached. We are looking into this.
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/02/national-museums-liverpool-paid-out.html
I gave Ben some further gossip and today Ben Schofield writes;
THE sacked architect behind the new Museum of Liverpool has forged a peace deal with their former employers.

Danish designer 3XN came up with the distinctive X-wing shape of the new waterfront museum.
But it was acrimoniously dropped from the project in November, 2007, and Manchester firm AEW hired to deliver the designs.
In mid-2008, 3XN’s principal architect, Kim Nielsen, said his firm was considering suing National Museums Liverpool (NML) for breach of copyright.
He also claimed NML still owned 3XN “a lot of money”.
Now, following a meeting with museums director Dr David Fleming last month, Mr Nielsen and NML have agreed to bury the hatchet.
3XN will now be officially credited as the “creative architects” on the project, which opens next year.
Mr Nielsen told the Daily Post: “It is a big issue. We had a positive meeting – we agreed about the promotion of the museum together.
“We are the designers – that is what we agreed with the museum.” Asked if the agreement was to be followed up with any cash, Mr Nielsen said: “I have no comment on that.”
He did confirm there would be no copyright lawsuit.
An NML spokesman said: “We had a very amiable and positive meeting with 3XN, and agreed to refer to the company as ‘creative architects’ on the Museum of Liverpool project.”
THE sacked architect behind the new Museum of Liverpool has forged a peace deal with their former employers.  http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2010/02/25/harmony-breaks-out-in-liverpool-museums-spat-with-architect-92534-25910055/ It is interesting to note the comment left by a member of the public.
ABBY1 wrote:

Its all greased palms and big brown envelopes in the pub to me ?
25/2/2010 10:10 AM GMT on liverpooldailypost.co.uk


http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/astragal/a-liverpudlian-olive-branch/5214377.article#

  Which is subscription so here is the text.

Back in 2007, Danish practice 3XN vowed to take legal action – reportedly for breach of copyright and lost fees – following its departure from the £68 million scheme.
The firm was replaced following a headline-grabbing switch involving Manchester-based AEW. After a couple of years of low-key grumbling, it seems the Danes have been appeased. 3XN will now be recognised as ‘creative architect’ and will no doubt be happy to pose with museum bosses outside the building when it finally opens. That, by the way, is now not expected until 2011.

http://condensedthoughts.blogspot.com/2010/02/calculating-cost-of-cracked-covenant.html Correspondent writes his local take on the matter.

Tuesday, 4 August 2009

Urban Splash....Are They Drowning in Debt?


Our Architectural Saviours Urban Splash are now in talks with their bankers to ensure that it does not breach its banking covenants. They have promoted themselves as the darling boys of trendy heritage.....milking the public grant system.... in my opinion. I personally put a lot of time into saving the Littlewoods Building from demolition when I picked up a planning application to demolish it. They were supposed to have acquired it but it seems they have now abandoned the project. The same seems to be happening at the derelict Cinema in Lime Street used as a hoarding for 2008. What a mess they helped create along with those English Heretics at Park Hill in Sheffield. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/05/dr-simon-thurley-and-restoration-of.html They also have just recently completed the Midland Hotel in Morecambe. I had a private tour round the building with Bill Maynard and suggested I place an advertisment, in the Antique trade gazzette after the theft of a balustrade section with a seahorse upon it designed by Eric Gill. It was some months later at a live Radio Merseyside debate that Bill told me someone had walked on the site with it..no questions asked and gave it back. I was pleased "Right you can pay me for the advert now" I said, "Oh did we not pay you" he said sheepishly. "we will send you a cheque". There may be a few other schemes of theirs on hold while Tom Bloxham can well ride it out in his mad looking futuristic 1960s pile in the south of France.
Johnathan Falkingham who along with Tom Floxham founded the company. Falkingham is a trustee of National Museums Liverpool. Urban Splash did a competition scheme for the original museum competion for our Pier Head marketed by October Communications. The competition was for a Fourth (sic) Grace that architect madman of "Cloud" Cuckoo-land, Alsop won in a council stitch up, with the glass pie in the sky. They both then went on to do a sheme called "Cheep as Chips" together. Someone from Urban Spash said about Alsop. "He should be in an institution he is as mad as a hatter". http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/buildings/residential/chips-new-islington-manchester-by-alsop-architects/5202419.article
So Falkingham, eventually as part of NML along with the then Chairman of English Heritage, who turned a blind eye, managed to destroy the World Heritage Site anyhow with the museum that is funded by building those three black granite grotesques next to it, that Doreen Jones cast her vote as chair of planning committee to rubber stamp.

Splosh!!. Big Belly Flop!! Tools are now well and truly downed “The directors believe that based, upon dialogue with these lenders, it is unlikely that the banks would demand facilities to be repaid in the next 12 months and that those due for renewal will be satisfactorily renegotiated" Falkingham said. In the year to 31 March 2008, pre-tax profits ballooned 58% to £4.9 million on turnover up 9% to £62.1 million.
Yes and most of that was because they had learnt how to milk more money from the public purse.
When the going gets tough Urban Splash get going.

Wednesday, 17 June 2009

Littlewoods Edge Lane



WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO PUT A PAIR OF SCHOOLS INSIDE THIS BUILDING, ON THE EDGE OF THE NEW ROAD WIDENING SCHEME OF ONE OF THE BUSIEST ROADS IN THE CITY.


When we got wind that this building was to be demolished we organised a successful campaign to save it from demolition. Urban Splash took it over. They have been credit crunched and now.....I think Mike Storey is pulling strings here. It was he who declared that he would help us save it. Even though its my opinion, that I think he has behaved at times like a Spiv he did see the publicity would have been too great against the council if it had been demolished as originally intended. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/06/littlewoods-edge-lane-still-in-peril.html
The Council planning poodles have passed the plans now.........The Council did not write to us to advise us of the planning application.....we just saved it from demolition.

Planners back plans to build schools in Liverpool Littlewoods building despite business fears
Jun 17 2009 by Ben Turner, Liverpool Daily Post
Planners back plans to build schools in Littlewoods building despite business fears
CONTROVERSIAL plans to build two highs schools within Liverpool’s iconic Littlewoods building have been backed despite a scathing attack from a city business.
The iconic art deco building, within Edge Lane’s new Innovation Park, was built by the Pools firm’s founders in 1938, but has sat empty for years.

read on by clicking link below
http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2009/06/17/planners-back-plans-to-build-schools-in-liverpool-littlewoods-building-despite-business-fears-92534-23895959/
All this despite one of the schools not wanting to move.
read on
http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2009/06/09/governors-at-aigburth-school-refuse-to-budge-over-move-to-littlewoods-building-92534-23820651/

Monday, 8 June 2009

Littlewoods Edge Lane Still in Peril

The Daily Post is claiming Littlewood's on Edge Lane has been saved..... again!
This is strange this is one building we did a couple of hundred hours convincing the Council that this was worth saving. Then it was knocked out to Urban Splash and we were about to see the new tomorrow for Edge Lane....again... while instead they plan to build B&Q style sheds all over it.

English Heretic Mr Hawkins who refused to list it, said that the area should be made a conservation area. Mike "No More Than A Tory" Storey who was the Council leader at the time, was disgraced, and is now the Lord Mayor, is a schoolteacher, and was, at the time, on the board of the NWDA who owned it and he was also on the board of the Liverpool Land Development Company who were crawling all over this area just before it was handed over to Tom Floxham & Co.
Hawkins said to me he had to take into account the economic situation of the area and I made an official complaint against him as this is not EH remit.
This Conservation Area status, or listing, never happened......conveniently for those wishing to develop the area. This is all a couple of hundred yards from the Pathfinder area. http://www.edge-lane.com/
Now they want to make this into a school which may or may not be a good idea the editor of the Ghost thinks so, but what is alarming is that all the previous documentation to the plight of the area by the LPT does not come along with the current reporting and is not on the Ghost website, there was pages of it.
So a good "Storey" was had by all.
Private Eye reported our plight. SAVE and the C20th Society wrote to EH.
http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/education/education-news/2009/06/08/two-liverpool-schools-to-move-into-iconic-littlewoods-building-92534-23813547/
So the new dawn was announced before.
http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2007/10/24/developers-save-littlewoods-building-64375-19998780/
Credit Crunch his home.
http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2008/09/16/urban-splash-may-have-to-slash-up-to-half-280-strong-workforce-64375-21824319/

DID MIKE STOREY HAVE A "GAY" DAY?
Blame me for the rain I wished all week that it would hiss down on "Jackanorys" float but instead it leathered it down all over the city. Sorry about that.
DON'T RAIN ON MY PARADE.
I caught up with the Lord Mayors Parade in Church Street by default when I heard the band and then saw two giant green plastic Liver Turkeys walking down the street with two embarrassed people inside, faces going 'why did I volunteer for this'. Like two giant plastic chickens Tommy Cooper used as props with heads in, it was a embarrassment. Directly behind was the man himself looking like a Dickensian Character in a red coat and a dopping a trefoil hat. Some people will do anything for power. Its like watching a character from Sunset Boulavard, 'I was famous once, Ill be back'. He had just passed Reximillions office and there was no sign of him waving or joining in the celebrations. It seems they don't get on any more. The Parade went right along the outskirts of all the land Mike "Tory" Storey gave to the aristocracy his Dukeness of Grosvenor-pool. Onwards to all the land given away by the council to Beetham. Not far from the land the NWDA gave away to Neptune at the Pier Head. You know, this fella as council leader gave half of our city centre away. Berni Turner was nowhere to be seen either. It seems they dont get on anymore either. I wonder why? Storey had tried to get rid of the military from the parade, a mole at his office told, and they, at the Lord Mayors office even had to fight with him to retain what is a big calender event for raising canon fodder for the war in Iraq.
Anyway I was on to a 70th Birthday celebration for Philip Browning who edited the wonderful Buildings of Liverpool which was for a long time Liverpool's Architectural Bible.
I did not wish to hang around to see any more soggy crepe paper hanging off grim incarnations made from sqeezy bottles and toilet rolls at the Valerie Singleton school of decoration. Once the disguise falls down so you can see the milk float underneath and Ernie the milkman is sitting there fed up with a 300 decibel speaker on his head the funs over for me, so I carried on, as last year pathetic event was sad enough, and it was sunny.
Peter de Figeurido was on my table at the Atheneum lunch he or Trueheuz his partner never said a word. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/search/label/Peter%20de%20Figeurido
Though Graham Fisher of VicSox a man who has our admiration was there along with the architect David Backhouse and it is with many happy returns to Philip who was a town planner for LCC.