Everton FC Bellefield homes plan delayed by legal challenge

EVERTON FC's plans to build luxury houses on its Bellefield training ground must go back before city planners after a High Court ruling.The bid to build 74 homes was approved last month but the club has been unable to sign legal agreements to get underway with the scheme.The deadlock came when a judge ruled that Government Communities Secretary Eric Pickles' decision to scrap a piece of legislation that set housebuilding targets had been 'unlawful'.The case was launched by an Edinburgh housebuilder who was refused permission to build 2,000 homes following Mr Pickles' decision. The ruling has had a knock on effect for the Blues' plans to build 74 houses on the West Derby training site in order to bring around £8m into the club from the sale of the land.The bid was originally turned down by Liverpool council on the basis that the 'regional spatial strategy' discouraged housebuilding outside of Housing Market Renewal areas.But when the strategy was scrapped it allowed for the bid to be approved at the November 9 planning meeting.

Source: Liverpool_Echo