Liverpool City Council is to appeal a recent High Court judgement on the proposed Harthill housing development.

The local authority says it’s decided to challenge the ruling because of “the wider ramifications it has for planning policy nationally”.

Redrow’s planning permission to build 51 homes on land off Harthill Road in South Liverpool was overturned by the High Court last month.

Brought forward under the Liverpool Housing Partnership umbrella with the council, proposals also included the conversion of the Grade II-listed Beechley House into six apartments and two duplex units, with its summerhouse becoming one self-contained property.

Following the 18 January ruling, the council pledged not to proceed with the proposals, and that remains the case, but it now plans to appeal the decision made by Mr Justice Kerr because it says it has “far-reaching consequences for local authorities in how they deal with land classed as green wedge”.

Tony Reeves, Liverpool City Council’s chief executive, says: “The mayor has been absolutely clear that the Harthill scheme will not go ahead or be resurrected in any form, and I want to reassure people that, whatever the result of the appeal, that position will not change.

“It is for that reason we are not appealing the costs we were ordered to pay the group that brought the challenge, and have made a payment to them of £30,000 towards them.

“The reason we are appealing is because the judgement raises much wider issues about established planning policy and the difference between green belt and green wedge.

“As a growing city, we need a solid planning framework which outlines clear definitions for types of land to help us arrive at consistent decisions around development.

“As it stands, Mr Justice Kerr’s judgement casts doubt on established principles, and leaves councils up and down the country open to challenge on their assessment of policies which have been in place for many years.

“We are appealing to get clarity on the wider issue, so everyone involved in the planning process, whether it is developers, councils, landowners or local residents, has clarity around how planning applications for development on green wedge should be assessed.”

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