'Why so many empty homes in our lovely community?'

Kelsey Mac said she would like to see the boarded up properties on Ducie Street turned into social housing

People living in a part of Toxteth have said they cannot understand why such a vibrant area of Liverpool is blighted by so many empty homes.

Granby hosts a popular monthly market, is in walking distance of the city centre, and is home to the historic Grade II listed Princes Park.

Yet, despite its desirable location and the fact that there are nearly 15,000 people waiting for social housing in the city, many of the houses are "tinned up" or derelict.

Ducie Street is a case in point. The terraced Victorian houses there have been empty for decades to the frustration of residents.

Liverpool city council recently bought them back, after a deal was reached with developers who had acquired them from the authority in 2017.

The agreement brought to an end all previous outstanding disputes relating to them, and followed a lengthy period of uncertainty.

Local people have described problems with rats and fly tipping.

The plans to redevelop Ducie Street were part of a range of regeneration schemes the council tried out in the L8 postal code area more than a decade ago.

Ed Gommon said he was glad Liverpool Council was finally taking action after years of lack of engagement

In 2013, nearby Jermyn Street was the flagship address for Liverpool's pioneering Homes For £1 scheme.

But developers were also being given the keys, as well as individuals, and that did not sit right with some local people.

Ed Gommon submitted several Freedom of Information requests to try to find out the details of the deals, and whether the agreements had provided "best value" for the taxpayer.

He told BBC Politics North West he was frustrated by years of a lack of engagement from the council, but was glad the authority was finally taking action.

"It's a beautiful area, a lot of good stuff has happened and this is the last little bit that needs fixing," he said.

Michael Pierce said it was depressing to see empty homes in virtually the centre of Liverpool

In 2015, artists Assemble Studio won the Turner Prize for their work reviving homes on Cairns Street.

Michael Pierce, who moved to Liverpool after being inspired by what Assemble achieved, said community-led development was a "great model".

"It's crazy you have a street like this, and a street like Ducie Street right next to each other," he added.

Mr Pierce said it was "really encouraging and amazing" that the council was back in control of Ducie Street, but the authority owed the L8 community "an apology".

'Families want fair chance'

Kelsey Mac grew up in L8 and lives with her husband and three children in Granby.

She said she could not understand why more had not been done to revive derelict properties as "there's a huge need for housing".

"This area is very multi-cultural, and there are mosques, schools and a lot of Muslim families would like to live here to be close to those things," she added.

Ms Mac said people spent years waiting for suitable housing, and private rents were "too high", adding she would like to see social housing on Ducie Street and a "fair chance" for local families to get access to the properties.

Maxine Dean said reviving the homes on Ducie Street would mean people could stay in the area

Maxine Dean, part of the Friends of Granby Street, said L8 was a "great place to live", with a community that was "like one happy family", but she questioned why there were so many empty homes.

She said a lack of housing meant people were still living with their parents and the revival of Ducie Street meant more "could stay in the area for work and stay connected".

Liverpool council leader Liam Robinson said the authority was committed to bringing empty properties back into use

Liverpool city council leader Liam Robinson said he completely understood why people were frustrated at the situation with Ducie Street.

He said it had been "a very long detailed legal process" but he was committed to bringing empty properties back into use to address "the housing and homelessness emergency" which was "very acute in Liverpool".

Robinson said one of the "key ways" of addressing that was to bring old properties that were currently "vacant and voided" back into "good quality useful homes for local families".

He said the council would be "open and transparent" in the future about the way it worked with developers and was working with a number of housing associations to look at securing funding to enable them to bring empty homes back into use.

It would also work with private property owners as well as the 45 council-owned properties which were currently vacant, he added.

Councillor Lucille Harvey said Ducie Street stuck out when it came to the lack of regeneration compared with the other streets

Lucille Harvey, the councillor for Granby, said she walked up and down Ducie Street every day as a child going to school and the road "stuck out" when it came to a lack of regeneration compared with the other streets.

She said work to clear the area and make it safe had started.

"What's crucial and maybe what didn't happen last time is that we bring the local community on the journey with us into what the future is on Ducie street," she said.

There was a shortage of larger family homes in L8 so it was "crucial" to get community engagement and "a development that works for the local community", she added.

The Victorian homes on Ducie Street may turn out to be so dilapidated they need to be pulled down.

With so many people waiting for social housing in the city, people here said the need for affordable homes to replace them was urgent.