Liverpool's derelict Granby streets to be refurbished

Granby streets in Toxteth have been derelict for years

Rows of Victorian homes in Liverpool which have been derelict for years will be refurbished rather than demolished, the city council has promised.

Work on the Four Streets area of Granby will start in the new year with a £2m revamp of the 32 properties on Beaconsfield Street.

Many residents have campaigned to keep their homes rather than see them knocked down.

The council said it had secured a developer for the scheme.

Plans to transform the area of Toxteth, including the Granby Triangle, the Four Streets and Lodge Lane, have been in council documents for more than a decade.

But so far comprehensive work on the run-down areas has not been seen.

Liverpool City Council said: "Work will start early in 2011 on the first phase of a £2m scheme funded by the council and Homes and Communities Agency to transform 32 properties on Beaconsfield Street.

"We are planning to refurbish homes on Jermyn Street as part of a later phase, subject to funding being available.

"The Four Streets scheme is not the only project to improve housing in Granby.

"New homes have been built on Hatherley Street by a local housing association and properties have been refurbished to provide homes for larger families.

"Despite the unprecedented financial challenge we face at the moment, the council is committed to working in partnership with the community and the private sector to continue to regenerate Granby."