The Former Probation Site and CofE Church on Falkner Street / Crown Street Liverpool 8 has been sold by the Diocese to Elliot Lawless trading as Falkner Street Developments Ltd.  They submitted a planning application to develop the site into two blocks.  One comprising of 63 student dwellings that will accommodate 182 students and One block with 105 1-2 bed apartments.

In December 2019 this planning application was approved subject to a section 106 agreement being signed.  This was not signed.  This was at the same time that Elliot Lawless was under investigation by Merseyside Police.

This application went to planning again on 11th April 2022 and L8 Matters Community Land Trust with support of local councillors was successful in its objections to the development and it was rejected by the planning committee. This development is a further attempt to gentrify Liverpool 8 in an area already saturated by student accommodation.  It was also revealed today that Falkner Street Developments Ltd who submitted the planning application are no longer the developers, Legacie Developments Ltd are now the new developers.   

We put forward strong arguments including:
- the developer being under investigation at the time the original planning application was made
- the company being dormant and having no money
- a restrictive covenant being in place on freehold of the land restricting use to probation centre, church and community use. No evidence has been provided that this has been removed.  
- no 20% affordable housing which is a national and local policy requirement
- no adequate parking
- no adequate consultation with local residents or friends groups
- removal of 43 mature trees

 
The application was rejected on the grounds of concerns around the parking and the student accommodation being right next to a residential block on the same site.

This application will be presented again, so we will be preparing further opposition. Please sign this petition as a local resident or supporter due there being enough student accommodation in the area already.