I have been investigating regeneration on Merseyside for the last four years. I have run for the city council as an independent candidate on three occasions and I am well known by most of Liverpool’s elected members and senior council officers.

A bottom up approach:

Some of the key maxims continually trumpeted by central and local government pertaining to community participation in communities which have been earmarked for regeneration, are, community empowerment, a bottom up approach, an initiative, which is led by the community. But in reality these maxims are an illusion.

Regeneration funding:

The problems connected with the misappropriation of European Objective One funding (funding which was originally meant to go to 37 poor run down areas on Merseyside known as Pathways) is something that we hardly hear of, even though billions of pounds of European Objective One and central government public funding such as, Single Regeneration Budget (SRB), Neighbourhood Renewal, New Deal for Communities (NDC) all of witch can be used to draw down Objective One funding has flooded into the UK over the last ten years. Go to any area in the UK were these funding sources have been awarded and see what it has done to make life better for the poor and socially excluded. Speak to the community members who have been involved in a large community regeneration initiative, such as New Deal for Communities or Single Regeneration Budget, and they will tell you how the money caused angry divisions within the community and how long time friends become enemies and inter area rivalry is endemic.

Panorama researcher:

Three years ago a Panorama researcher came to see me. She stayed in a hotel on the seafront and visited most of the contacts I gave her. After three days she left claiming that it was decided that a programme would not be made by Panorama, but that I should get back in touch with Panorama in a year or two. Since Panorama’s first visit much has happened in relation to how regeneration money is administrated and how this money is not being used for its intended purpose.

Rope Walks fraud investigation:

The Liverpool City Council Rope Walks corruption investigation by the EU fraud squad OLAF is still ongoing, but most people, including local journalists, think there will be a cover up concerning the allegations against Rope Walks, which incidentally is a senior city council officer led initiative. Then we have the property developers who will take most, if not all, of the second round of Objective One funding (£844m) to build office blocks and luxury apartments in the city centre. It is said that one property developer who sat on the Rope Walks Board awarded himself £70m towards one of his own projects.

Tons of stuff on the Liverpool Echo newspaper web site archives about Rope Walks corruption, but still ongoing as far as I know. Below is a web page address to a typical Echo article:

 http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/page.cfm?objectid=11379951&method=full&siteid=50061


Another interesting Echo article called “Fat Cats” is also quite informative:

 http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200businessnews/page.cfm?objectid=7565758&method=full&siteid=50061

New Deal for Communities NDC (There are 39 NDC initiatives in the UK):

There are many problems connected with the Liverpool Kensington NDC initiative. Recently one of the ten elected community board members resigned claiming that the initiative is not being led by the community but by the Liverpool City Council and a new RSL called Community 7. Community 7 are a subsidiary of one of the biggest RSL’s in the northwest called Riverside Housing. Riverside Housing is the biggest RSL on Merseyside with 23,000 properties. In effect Community 7 is Riverside Housing masquerading under another name in a vain attempt to deceive the Kensington NDC community. It’s also interesting to note that the chief executive of Riverside Housing earns in excess of £111,000 per year. There are no tenant representatives on Riverside’s main board.

More about Riverside and other RSL’s can be observed on the Islington Facts web site. Double click “Dishing the Dirt”. There are two very good graphs on this page one at the beginning and one at the bottom of the page. Both of these graphs will give authenticity to what I have said.

Web site page:

 http://www.islingtonfacts.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/

Jimmy McGovern speaks out:

Recently the playwright Jimmy McGovern, who used to live in Liverpool’s Kensington area as a child, wrote a damning article in the Liverpool Echo about the way in which the £62 million pathfinder New Deal initiative is being handled by the regeneration administrators, who it is claimed by most of the Kensington NDC community, have a hidden agenda and take no notice to what the community wants..

Demolition of NDC properties:

There is much that is wrong about the above regeneration initiative, especially the way regeneration administrators and their consultants put together a totally unrepresentative consultation questionnaire, which did not in any way represent the aspirations of the 13,000 community residents who lived in the NDC area, which encompasses 4,200 dwellings. Based on this questionnaire, which only 200 to 300 people bothered to fill in, the regeneration administrators decided to demolish thousands of houses.

Bellow are links to Echo web page addresses, which cover the above stories. The people who lived in the area known as The Kensington Triangle organized themselves and did their own qualiative research questionnaire and found that 98% of the people who lived in the Triangle area, 400 to 600 houses, did not want them demolished.

Jimmy McGovern Echo article:

 http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/page.cfm?objectid=12876280&method=full&siteid=50061


Liverpool Echo article about demolitions:

 http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/page.cfm?objectid=11143057&method=full&siteid=50061

MP and Bishop speak out Echo article:

 http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/page.cfm?objectid=11114487&method=full&siteid=50061

The Bishop of Liverpool is the chair of the Kensington New Deal initiative. The Bishop was featured in a Guardian article in which the Bishop criticised community participation.

Link to Guardian article:

 http://society.guardian.co.uk/neighbourhoodrenewal/comment/0,8146,543835,00.html

The Leicester Braunstone NDC initiative:

The problems connected with the New Deal for Communities initiative are not just restricted to Merseyside if you go, for instance, to Braunstone; which is a poor run down estate in Leicester, you will see that the NDC project’s administrators have constantly battled with the community to stifle effective community participation.

To authenticate what I have said about Braunstone go to Leicester Mercury web site, pages:

 http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=42626&command=displayContent&sourceNode=42317&contentPK=4638150

 http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=42626&command=displayContent&sourceNode=42317&contentPK=4539337

The critical academics:

There are also academics who are critical about regeneration in Merseyside one of
them is Dr Phil Boland who did an extensive paper on regeneration. Although these papers are not on his web site Dr Boland would make his research available. Dr Boland’s brief introduction web site is:

 http://www.cf.ac.uk/cplan/staff/boland_p.html

Liverpool Vision:

The Vision agency was given the go ahead to spend millions of pounds on planners and architects. It was reported in the Liverpool Business Weekly (Oct 13/1999) that the final short list of consortia, who will compete to redesign 400 hectors of Liverpool City Centre has been drawn up. The property developer that was eventually chosen from the so-called consortium was Governor Henderson, which is headed by the Duke of Westminster. In reality everyone knew that the Duke was going to get the work before the consortium was even set up.

Vision was set up three or four years ago, is involved with Rope Walks. Vision’s first chief exec Layth Bunni was only at Vision for a short period of time before he left. It is said that Mr Buni was either too sharp for vision or out of his depth and could not do the job.

More about Mr Bunni and Vision can be seen on Echo web site page:

 http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/page.cfm?objectid=7512228&method=full&siteid=50061

Not long after his departure from Vision Mr Bunni, turned up at the Cream nightclub as chief executive (probably his own business) of Lomax entertainments.

More about Mr Bunni’s relationship with the Cream nightspot can be observed on Echo web site page:

 http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200businessnews/page.cfm?objectid=12079321&method=full&siteid=50061

The Property Developers:

There is a plethora of property developer on Merseyside, each one trying to get a share of the European Objective One funding, the biggest one now is Grosvenor Henderson, which is owned by the UK’s richest property owner, the Duke of Westminster. The Duke of Westminster intends to do extensive building within the city’s town centre.
Information about the Duke of Westminster’s plans can be seen on Echo web sit:

 http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/page.cfm?objectid=12798206&method=full&siteid=50061

Quiggins:
Governor Henderson are not getting there own way and are coming up against stiff opposition from one of Liverpool's more unusual shopping venues which has vowed to fight tooth and nail to survive the Dukes £800m city centre redevelopment plan.

Quiggins Centre, on School Lane, occupies a key site within the council backed Grosvenor Henderson masterplan for the centre of Liverpool. I recently spoke to Director Peter Tierney and he told me that thing have not changed in connection with his fight against the city council and the Duke.

Peter Tierney did plan to relocate his entire store into the former George Henry Lee building fronting the main shopping street but told me that moves are being made and obsticals are being put in his way to stop him from doing this.

Peter has told me that he is quite willing to speak to Panorama and that he has a wealth of information about the corrupt and unaccountable behaviour of property developers. He can also throw much more light onto the Rope Walks corruption allegations.

Peter has put together a wagon with large slanting posters criticising the city council. Attached to the wagon are load speakers. Peter plans to drive around the city centre and Liverpool highlighting the injustice of what is happening in the city.

Peter can be reached on Tel 709-1051

Information about the plight of Quiggins can be seen on Echo web site page:

 http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/page.cfm?objectid=12113588&method=full&siteid=50061

Quiggins web site is: www.quiggins.com

Property Developer Bill Davies:

The Liverpool Echo and the Liverpool City Council have continually discredited the property developer Bill Davies, who owns the Walton Group. Over some years the council, backed by the Liverpool Echo orchestrated a hate campaign against Mr Davis so as to take the important site Chavasse Park away from him and put it into the hands of the Duke of westminster. Mr Davies was even accused of picking up a prostitute, a charge that he was found not guilty of.

Liverpool Echo stories pertaining to Bill Davies in date order:

Court battle on Chavasse June 18 2001

 http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/page.cfm?objectid=11101855&method=full&siteid=50061

City faces £1/4m Chavasse bill Jul 26 2001

 http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/page.cfm?objectid=11183387&method=full&siteid=50061

Chavasse bid under fire from council Aug 23 2001

 http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/page.cfm?objectid=11257348&method=full&siteid=50061

Grosvenor close to Paradise Street deal with City Council Feb 6 2002

 http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200businessnews/page.cfm?objectid=11595654&method=full&siteid=50061

Speedy decision on Chavasse urged Feb 23 2002

 http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/page.cfm?objectid=11644122&method=full&siteid=50061

Duke wins fight for heart of city May 24 2002

 http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/page.cfm?objectid=11898860&method=full&siteid=50061

Walton's Chavasse plan still on track Jun 11 2002

 http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/page.cfm?objectid=11942517&method=full&siteid=50061

£200m plan rejected Sep 6 2002

 http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/page.cfm?objectid=12177330&method=full&siteid=50061

Council ends Walton contract Sep 18 2002

 http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/page.cfm?objectid=12208101&method=full&siteid=50061


Bill Davies owns the new Post Office site and the council even tried to steal that from him but never succeeded. More info on Echo web site:

 http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/page.cfm?objectid=11329290&method=full&siteid=50061

Ex Councillor Joe Kenny:

Ex councillor Joe Kenny is a friend of Peter Tierney and like Peter has a wealth of knowledge about corrupt behaviour in the Liverpool city council and other regeneration agencies.

Joe vigorously campaigned against the building of the proposed new Liverpool Anfield football ground in a Public Park, just a stones throw from Liverpool’s present ground.

Joe also highlighted the way in which senior Liverpool City council officers and elected members operate when it comes to the issue of public consultation and how they stealthily avoid referendums in favour of a consultation methodology that does not represent the aspirations of the wider community. These consultation questionnaires are cleverly designed and put together to support the council’s agenda, with ambiguous loaded questions. This undemocratic practice pertaining to public consultation and the avoidance of community referendums is common practice in all Merseyside communities when it comes to the issue of major projects.

Further information about this can be observed on Liverpool Echo web site page:

 http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/page.cfm?objectid=12274576&method=full&siteid=50061

With the full support of the local media a campaign to discredit Joe Kenny was orchestrated against him by the Liberal Democrats who dug up the dirt on Joe and highlighted any incidents that Joe was involved with, i.e., non payment of rent for his stall in the city centre, a fracas with a labour councillor, and a punch up with a club bouncer. Joe says all of these incidents were exaggerated and can give a plausible reason to all of these allegations.

More info about these allegations can be observed on Echo web site page:

 http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/search.cfm?searchscope=50061&query=joe+kenny+expelled+&num=10&start=0&gobut.x=13&gobut.y=13

The interesting thing to note here is that all of the above allegations were levelled against Joe Kenny after he had voiced his protestations against the new Anfield football stadium and the Liverpool academy. In my opinion, what happened to councillor Kenny is a classical example of the way in which city councillors and senior officers behave when they want to get shut of someone who disagrees with them. The latter statement can be authenticated by the date of the below article in the Liverpool Echo at the beginning of the Anfield football stadium saga:

 http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0500liverpoolfc/0100news/0100newsarchive/0500december/page.cfm?objectid=91221&method=full&siteid=50061

Joe can be reached through Peter Tierney on Tel 709-1051.

The Liverpool Boot estate fiasco:

The Liverpool Boot estate is another example of how the Liverpool City Council operates when it come to informing and consulting with the community. After many years of promises for a multimillion-pound housing programme, the council recently admitted that they were over ambitious and pulled the plug on the programme.

Bellow are web links to echo articles connected with the boot estate, which is situated in a part of Liverpool called Norris Green.

Norris Green has Population 36.500 residents. The area is predominately residential and consists almost entirely of inter war council estates. There is no industrial base within the area and commercial activity is mainly retail based, primarily made up of micro-enterprises. The area suffers from high unemployment, poor educational achievement, an acute lack of community/youth leisure facilities and extremely poor housing conditions. To address these housing problems local government, with the full backing of central government, have promoted council stock transfers to Registered Social Landlords.

One of the most prominent community leaders in Norris green is an extremely moderate guy called Jack Mann. Jack has tirelessly campaigned for better housing in the area for some years now. Recently Jack told me that since the failure to push through the project the community is being kept in the dark as to what is going on and that they are not happy with the way in which the community is being involved in the decision making process. Jack has said the decisions are being made behind closed doors.

Jack Mann can be reached at the “Boot Tenants and residents Association” Tel 0151-256-0845.

Links to Echo web pages about Boot estate fiasco:

 http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/page.cfm?objectid=12410228&method=full&siteid=50061

 http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/page.cfm?objectid=12414371&method=full&siteid=50061

 http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/page.cfm?objectid=12414371&method=full&siteid=50061

 http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/page.cfm?objectid=12428209&method=full&siteid=50061

 http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/page.cfm?objectid=12428103&method=full&siteid=50061

 http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/page.cfm?objectid=12442936&method=full&siteid=50061

 http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/page.cfm?objectid=12451087&method=full&siteid=50061

 http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/page.cfm?objectid=12873779&method=full&siteid=50061

Mike Lane