Parking blamed for historic street losing character

Sections of pavements on Liverpool's Rodney Street have been replaced with bitumen

Drivers parking on pavements are being blamed for a city's famous street losing some of its historic character.

Damaged flagstones in Rodney Street in Liverpool's Georgian quarter have been replaced with bitumen.

Local heritage enthusiasts said the repair jobs undermined the character of the street, which is in an area often used for filming period dramas.

Liverpool City Council said the new surface was easier to maintain and harder-wearing.

The council said despite enforcement people still regularly parked on the pavements

Rex Stevens, who runs the @Liverpool1207 X account, said he was dismayed at the state of the street's pavements.

The retired 64-year-old said: "This is a conservation area, but it gets worse every single time I go up there.

"If I lived in Rodney Street, I would be unhappy about this."

He said the city's heritage was one of its biggest selling points, but said if it was not properly preserved "you end up with more people talking about the bad bits than the good bits".

'Harley Street of the north'

Rodney Street, named after 18th century naval commander George Brydges Rodney, was built in 1820 at the start of the reign of George IV.

Over the years, its townhouses have become home to a number of law firms and private medical practices, which has earned it the nickname 'The Harley Street of the north', a nod to the London street full of exclusive doctors' surgeries.

Peaky Blinders and the 2021 adaptation of Len Deighton's novel The Ipcress File were filmed in the street.

A spokesman for Liverpool City Council said: "Despite regular enforcement, drivers often park partly on the pavement on Rodney Street and we use tarmac to carry out repairs in this location because it is more durable, hard wearing and needs less maintenance."