Row over derelict houses in Anfield's shadow

Tom Murphy of Homebaked Community Land Trust accused Liverpool Council of a "knee-jerk u-turn"

A war of words has broken out between a community organisation and councillors after plans to redevelop a row of eyesore derelict houses in the shadow of Liverpool FC's Anfield stadium fell through.

The nine empty terraced properties were slated to be handed over to Homebaked Community Land Trust (CLT) in 2016 instead of being demolished.

However, Liverpool City Council announced it instead intends to sell the houses in Oakfield Road on the open market.

Homebaked accused the council of a "knee-jerk u-turn", but the authority said the CLT's plan was no-longer feasible after a key partner pulled out.

• Council outlines plan to tackle city's homelessness

The group was formed in 2012 by a group of local residents hoping to improve areas of north Liverpool by taking property and land into community ownership.

Tom Murphy, co-ordinator and secretary of Homebaked, said the organisation had £520,000 of funding in place conditional on the properties being transferred into its ownership.

"It's really, really disappointing because it feels like there's substantial investment of money, time and energy that's been made to date", he said.

Mr Murphy said the CLT had obtained and spent grants totalling about £178,000 for feasibility work including surveys and architectural plans.

He said the scheme was "repeatedly held up by delays beyond our control".

The terraces on Oakfield Road have been derelict for more than a decade

"There's a lot at stake here and that doesn't even touch on the social value that was going to be generated from the properties as well," he said.

Mr Murphy said a 2019 plan to partner with Your Housing Group housing association "hadn't panned out" but added that "you don't need a registered provider to develop this scheme".

However, Liverpool councillor Nick Small, cabinet member for growth and economy, said he viewed the criticism from Homebaked with "great disappointment and sadness".

He told BBC Radio Merseyside: "The planning permission has expired, the funding isn't in place and the housing association partner is no longer in place.

"We're not convinced that this scheme, as it is, can be delivered."

Homebaked CLT partnered with Your Housing Group in 2019 but the housing association has since pulled out of the scheme

Mr Small said Liverpool faced a "massive housing crisis" and it was essential the properties were brought into use as soon as possible.

"I'm a councillor in the city centre and every week I will deal with up to 10 people, residents who are living in temporary accommodation, hotels in the city centre, families in desperate situations," he said.

He said the quickest way to bring the houses back into use was wrap them into a wider proposal to sell 54 "void properties" across the city.

Homebaked said it would demonstrate outside Liverpool Town Hall on Tuesday when the council's cabinet will vote on approving the sale.