Liverpool councillors defy mayor in 'park homes' row

Protests have previously taken place against plans for new homes in Calderstones Park

Two senior Labour councillors have defied Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson to oppose a controversial plan to build houses in or next to a popular park.

Ann O'Byrne and Nick Small want the plans for Calderstones Park and Harthill Estate to be scrapped in favour of creating a "Kew Gardens of the North" on the site.

Mr Anderson has said opposition to the plan was based on "smears and lies".

A judicial review of the planned homes' approval will be heard in November.

Planning permission to build 51 homes was granted in February 2017.

Mr Anderson insists the sites earmarked for development are not actually part of the park.

But campaigners maintain the land does fall within the park's boundaries.

Joe Anderson has led Liverpool City Council since 2010

Former deputy mayor Ms O'Byrne and ex-assistant mayor Mr Small want the city's historic botanical collection to be reunited in new glasshouses within Calderstones Park.

The collection of rare plants was housed in the Harthill glasshouses at Calderstones Park from the 1960s until 1984.

It is currently split between different sites across the city, with only sections accessible to the public.

"We should be bold and ambitious," said Ms O'Byrne. "Recreating the glasshouses and bringing the city's historic botanical collection together under one roof would be a massive tourist attraction.

"We should be working with parks campaigners and the community to make this happen."

Mr Small added: "We should call a halt to these proposals.

"I believe [the glasshouses] could have a much bigger and better impact economically, socially and environmentally than building executive homes here."

Nearly 40,000 people have signed a petition opposing the housing development.

A spokesman for Liverpool City Council said it would not be "appropriate" to comment ahead of the judicial review.

Mr Anderson has previously argued that the homes planned for the site would bring in high council tax receipts and better facilities for the organisations that currently use it.

In a letter to local Labour Party members last month, seen by the BBC, Mr Anderson wrote: "The smears and lies over Calderstones is another attempt to try to distort the truth" surrounding the development plan.

Analysis: Claire Hamilton, BBC Merseyside political reporter

This housing development has turned out to be the Liverpool Labour group's Achilles heel.

A well-organised, vocal campaign against it has been backed by celebrities and opposition politicians.

This latest intervention by two former cabinet members also highlights deepening divisions in the Labour group.

It must be borne in mind, though, that Nick Small - who ran Labour's local election campaign in May - was unceremoniously sacked as assistant mayor by Mr Anderson after the party lost three seats.

Ann O'Byrne resigned in protest later the same day at Mr Small's departure.

Many who have until now been loyal to Mayor Joe Anderson, though, are mindful of the changing mood in the party and, more pressingly, the possibility that he may not be Labour's candidate for the post in 2020.

If he decides to stand again, he will need the backing of the party membership, which isn't a foregone conclusion.

A chance to oppose one of his flagship schemes sets other possible contenders apart from him.