Boot could take 15 more years; Developers 'hugely frustrated' by housing market collapse delays.

Byline: MARCWADDINGTON

CATALOGUE OF HORRORS WHEN demolition began and homes became vacant the residents' nightmare began.. Empty houses were stripped by looters pillaging for whatever scrap they could find.. Anti-socialbehaviour and gang culture increased.. Empty houses became a target for arsonists.

In March this year arsonists torched six properties in less than 24 hours.

In the last six months the fire service was called to the estate 124 times to deal with 95 fires - 33 of them in empty properties.. Demolition has led to environmental crimes including fly tipping.

THE long-awaited redevelopment of Liverpool's run-down Boot Estate may not be completed for another 15 years.

Developers involved in the scheme say plans to build up to 1,150 new homes on the Norris Green estate could take until 2024, blaming the collapse of the housing market as a factor in the delay.

They said they are "hugely frustrated" by the delays and that they are now looking to the government's Homes and Communities Agency for funding to help kickstart the scheme, which will go before city planners for approval today.

The news means the Boot project, hatched in 1999, will have taken a quarter of a century to complete by the time the final phase of housing is completed.

Regeneration firm INLiverpool - overseeing the scheme - said they understood fully the frustrations of of residents but that they hoped to be on site by March next year.

Council leaders say the issue is being discussed at "very high levels" within the authority in order to make sure the housing collapse does not create any further delays.

And they are keen to stress that the news does not mean delays to the New City Vision Boot regeneration, which has so far built 160 houses with another 50 expected to be complete by the end of the year.

But ward councillors say the timescale of the latest application will mean more years of hell for residents.

The application highlights that "the existing landscape of the site is characterised by areas of demolished housing and small pockets of occupied properties."

Graeme Hogg, of INLiverpool, said: "There is huge frustration from our point of view because we were ready to put in an application for the first phase last summer and had a joint venture with a developer ready to go, then the residential market collapsed.

"From a local perspective we feel for the people there because it's been so close on a number of occasions."

But he added that INLiverpool was working closely with the Homes and Communities Agency to generate funding.

He said while the sums were at t 1his stage confidential, more details would emerge in the coming weeks.

Cllr Alan Walker said residents were dismayed to hear of the delays and rounded on the council for "taking its eye off the ball".

He added: "I think it's a joke, and just shows that the council has not really got a proper plan or strategy.

"If it did, it could have at least made sure all the derelict sites were cleared, and put proper roads and pavements in place so that if there was an upturn in the housing market it would be there to take advantage of, but it hasn't."

Council communities executive member Cllr Marilyn Fielding said the council was fully committed to making sure the Boot was completed.

She added the council was "anxious" to see things move forward.

"No-one could have foreseen what happened. We are doing lots of work with the HACA to try to bring in developers and money forward where we can," she said.

CAPTION(S):

"UNFORESEEN": Marilyn Fielding DESTROYED: Cllr Alan Walker in front of one of the burnt-out houses on Glassonby Crescent