Homes in South Liverpool: Supply and demand in L17 & L18

Words by Lawrence Saunders

With some of Liverpool’s most treasured green spaces, a thriving bar and restaurant scene and a clutch of the city’s best schools, it’s easy to see why land for new housing schemes in parts of South Liverpool is always in high demand.

Recent interest in a new development on Aigburth Road has been particularly fervent, whilst the marketing of a former student complex in Mossley Hill with the potential to be transformed into homes will have seized the attention of housebuilders eager to gain a foothold in the area.

With this in mind, Your Move asks what it is about L17 and L18 which makes them so attractive to housebuilders and residents alike, and looks at whether the right type of housing is being built to cater for locals who want to take their first step on the property ladder in the area.

As far back as the Industrial Revolution, residents have been drawn to the fresh air and green spaces of Aigburth, Mossley Hill and Allerton.

The imposing villas built by wealthy merchants during the 19th Century around the area’s most prized asset, Sefton Park not only give the district a sense of grandeur and exclusivity, but interestingly also helped establish the park – funds from the sale of plots for the villas were put towards its creation.

Today the area continues to be a big draw for residents wishing to enjoy the array of amenities on offer in the neighbourhoods.

“It’s got everything,” says Will Goulden, negotiator at Sutton Kersh on Allerton Road.

“The parks, the schooling, the transport links – its position really is second to none.”

With so many positives, demand from developers for land to build new housing on is high.

The recent release to the market of the University of Liverpool’s former Dale Hall student complex in Mossley Hill represents a prime development opportunity in an area where estate agents have no trouble selling properties.

“We get a huge amount of interest from buyers looking to move to the area but there just isn’t the housing stock to accommodate them,” adds Will.

“With the shortage of land in South Liverpool it can be easier for developers to convert buildings rather than look for land which simply doesn’t exist at the moment – if the land was available you would see a lot more developers building houses.”

Will references recent church conversions in the area which have proved popular with buyers including the former Aigburth Methodist Church on Aigburth Road and the former Belvidere Road Church on Belvidere Road – both of which have been successfully renovated into luxury apartments.

 

 

When land to build on does become available it’s often snapped up by developers quickly, with any resulting residential schemes garnering plenty of interest from prospective buyers – as has been the case at Elan Homes’ new Aigburth Grange development.

The housebuilder originally planned to launch the new development on Aigburth Road, which will feature 37 properties – a mix of two, three and four-bedroom homes – early in 2017, but due to the volume of enquires received has already begun accepting off-plan reservations.

This is the developer’s second scheme in the area and follows Carnatic Court in Mossley Hill – a clutch of executive family homes which complemented existing properties within the Mossley Hill Conservation Area.

> Read our guide to homes in Aigburth

“Even before we sold the final property at Carnatic Court we were keen to acquire additional land in the area,” explains Marie Morris, sales director for Elan Homes in the North.

“South Liverpool is a popular area where people really want to live – each of the individual neighbourhoods are a vibrant community with their own identity and sense of place.”

Marie admits that she was not surprised by the interest in the Aigburth Grange scheme, considering the popularity of Carnatic Court and her own knowledge of the area.

Whilst there is no shortage of willing buyers for homes at high-end new housing schemes like Carnatic Court and Redrow’s New Heys development, the question must be asked as to whether enough affordable housing stock is being created in the area.

“We find that a lot of young first-time buyers need to move out of the area to places like Garston, before moving back later when they can afford to,” reveals Jack Power, branch manager at Abode on Allerton Road.

“South Liverpool is a popular area where people really want to live – each of the individual neighbourhoods are a vibrant community with their own identity and sense of place.”

But what of those people with roots in the area who don’t necessarily want to leave?

Green Party councillor Lawrence Brown, who represents the Greenbank ward, believes the example set by projects like Granby 4 Streets and the refurbishment of the Welsh Streets in Toxteth should be replicated across other parts of South Liverpool to help more people access housing in the area.

“These different initiatives should be looked at on a micro level to make sure that areas of Liverpool which are suffering with a lack of affordable housing are being treated in the right way,” he proposes.

With demand for housing in much of South Liverpool so high, another way in which people can look to access affordable accommodation in the area is through co-operative housing.

An offshoot of the co-operative movement, housing co-operatives sprang up in the city during the 1970s when Liverpool City Council transferred run-down terraced housing to the co-ops to be refurbished with the help of grant money.

> Read: Go ahead recommended for Elan Homes’ Aigburth site | March 2016

By the early 1980s, the co-operatives began obtaining plots of derelict land from the council to build new housing for local people living under poor conditions.

Around Lark Lane there are currently 200 properties under co-operative control, however this number is unlikely to increase according to John McGuigan, co-operative advisor at North West Housing Services (NWHS), a not-for-profit organisation which provides a range of services to housing co-operatives in the city.

“Our three co-ops around Lark Lane unfortunately have no scope to grow,” explains John.

“Land in L17 and L18 is obviously at a premium and demand for houses there is very high. At the end of the day it comes down to affordability, especially if people are looking to buy. Properties obviously get cheaper as you get closer towards the city centre.”

The largest housing co-op in the area is the Lark Lane Housing Co-operative, which began in 1975 and now includes some 130 properties – a mixture of apartments and houses.

“I think more funding needs to be made available for new small co-ops,” says Jane Pearce, secretary of the co-operative.

“We need more co-operative housing. We have families which are getting bigger and want to stay near Lark Lane but can’t afford private landlord rents or to buy here.”