City councillors will be asked to make a choice over the site in L8
City councillors will be asked to make a choice over the site in L8
The largest opposition group on Liverpool Council has secured a pecial debate on the handling of a much-loved African Caribbean centre in L8 as cabinet members take a major step forward on its future. Earlier this month, the city council was told to apologise for how it had engaged with the community around a potential relocation of the centre on Upper Parliament Street.
Amid a “critical” position on school places, it has been proposed the land around the African Caribbean Centre will form part of a wider area given to house a new girls school serving the L7, L8 and L15 communities.
Last month, centre board members reacted angrily after it was revealed the city council had selected the area, prompting more than 5,500 people to sign a petition opposing the move and attending February’s cabinet meeting to make their voices heard.
With executive members expected to make a decision on the future of the site tomorrow evening, the Liberal Democrat group has secured an emergency debate on how the case has been dealt with by cabinet members.
Following last month’s meeting, Cllr Liam Robinson, leader of Liverpool Council, issued an initial apology to campaigners who attended the Town Hall and said it was the cabinet’s preferred position that the centre remain on site.
According to the city council, 19 sites were assessed for their viability before the location was chosen. The board of the African Caribbean centre has written to the local authority seeking assurances the centre will be allowed to stay “on its full existing site as an independent centre.”
It has also approached Liverpool Women’s Hospital for correspondence over land used as the car park on the site. Subject to approval, it is thought the first intake in the proposed new school could take more than 120 pupils at Eden Girls’ Leadership Academy operated by Star Academies, expanding to 600 by 2028.
As part of the proposals, four acres of land Upper Parliament Street, Mulgrave Street and Selborne Street would be made available for a peppercorn rent over 125 years. An initial request for further scrutiny was submitted by Cllrs Lucille Harvey, Steve Munby, Nathalie Nicholas and Jane Corbett citing an alleged “lack of community consultation” and requested the centre remain where it is and a new site be found for the school.
Cllr Carl Cashman, leader of the Liberal Democrats, issued a call-in of his own. His group has now secured an emergency debate on the approach taken by the ruling Labour administration, with a date to be confirmed.
When cabinet meets tomorrow evening, it will be asked to consider if they back the original decision agreed in February or make amendments accordingly. Former Mayor Joanne Anderson made a rare public intervention last week when she attacked how the administration had dealt with the centre’s future.
In a letter to Cllr Robinson, seen by the ECHO, Ms Anderson said the authority’s actions had put vulnerable communities in “potential danger.”
