Alder Hey: Liverpool children's hospital expansion approved

The hospital was rebuilt as part of a £250m regeneration project in 2015

Plans to redevelop Liverpool's Alder Hey Children's Hospital and the surrounding area have been approved.

Liverpool Council's planning committee ratified applications to extend the hospital and build homes, shops and amenities nearby on Tuesday.

The development of Springfield Gardens at the West Derby site will include a gym, creche and retirement apartments.

Neighbours and ward councillors had objected to parts of the plans, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

There were almost 500 objections and a petition was signed by more than 2,000 people.

The first part of the development includes an extension of a clinical accommodation block on the hospital site, which reopened after being rebuilt in 2015.

The second includes building four new office, commercial and residential housing blocks on nearby Springfield Gardens, housing facilities including homes, a gym, a creche and retirement apartments.

Alder Hey is one of Europe's biggest and busiest children's hospitals

A representative for Step Places, which submitted the applications, said there had been "extensive consultation with the community" over the plans.

He said the new development would include a "public piazza" that would link the hospital, park and community.

At the meeting, a number of neighbours objected to plans for housing and retail on the site of the old hospital, including the West Derby Society's Stephen Guy.

He said the society argued the development outside the hospital grounds would create "privacy issues" and put pressure on "an already overburdened road network".

Mr Guy said they would seek legal advice following the decision.

Ward councillor Harry Doyle said the community around the hospital had been let down by previous promises from the Royal Liverpool Children's NHS Trust, which runs the hospital.

He said parking was a serious issue in the area which would worsen if the plans were passed.

Councillor Steve Radford also voted to reject the extension of the hospital but both applications were approved.