The relocation of a popular South Liverpool miniature railway is expected to move a step closer next week.

The Calderstones Park attraction, which has been in operation for over 70 years, is being moved on to make way for a controversial housing development.

Liverpool City Council’s planning committee is expected to approve plans to relocate the railway from its current location on Harthill Road to a patch of land to the west of Menlove Avenue at a meeting next Tuesday (25 July).

Speaking to Your Move in January, Arthur Brooks, chair of Merseyside Live Steam & Model Engineers, which runs the railway, said: “The council didn’t want to shut us down because we are a popular attraction, so they have agreed to rehome us to a site of our choosing within Calderstones Park.

“We were offered several sites in the park, all of which were excellent, but Menlove Avenue was the only one which was really suitable for a miniature railway. It’s virtually flat and wide open which means we can build easily on there.

“The move will give us a lot of opportunity to expand because our current site is virtually closed off and isn’t exactly in a location we can advertise.”

A planning report to be presented to the committee which recommends the plans for approval, adds: “Objectors have asserted that this planning application has only being submitted as the existing miniature railway facility on land off Harthill Road is subject to redevelopment proposals and the interim head of planning does not dispute this.

“It is important to recognise however that this scheme is solely independent to any proposed housing development, which may or may not be implemented and those proposals carry no weight when assessing the acceptability of this scheme.”

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