Part of a cycle lane in Toxteth which has been the centre of controversy should have been put in place by a property developer seven years ago.
Planning relating to a development on the corner of Kingsley Road and Upper Parliament Street show that segregated cycling provision should have been added to an existing non-segregated cycle lane on part of the street, as well as to part of Crown Street, over seven years ago by property developer Elliot Lawless.
In 2022, Liverpool Council installed a two-way segregated cycle lane at Kingsley Road as part of a scheme to upgrade the road and introduce a one-way system.
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Major roadworks to upgrade Kingsley Road had led to the road being closed for much of 2021 and left unfinished, after the contractor involved in the scheme went bust.
The road later reopened with one-way traffic and the installation of two-way segregated cycle lanes covering the length of the road, with an experimental traffic order in place.
While for many residents, the move has helped calm some of the traffic issues and improve pedestrian and cycle access, the scheme has also sparked controversy.
Car parking space was later added in to the scheme after complaints from residents that the cycle lanes had left people unable to park close to their homes.
When the issue of converting the experimental traffic order into a permanent one was discussed at a Liverpool Council meeting earlier this year, residents on both sides of the debate turned up to have their say – with some demanding the street be returned to how it was previously, while others fought to keep the segregated lanes, 20mph limit and one-way provision in place.
At a later meeting, the existing trial was extended to allow further engagement with Kingsley Road residents in the hopes a permanent solution could be worked out."
Prior to the introduction of the segregated lanes on Kingsley Road, cycle lanes were in place alongside two-way traffic.
Planning documents relating to a development on the corner of Kingsley Road and Upper Parliament Street show, however, that segregated cycling provision should have been added to part of the street as well as to part of Crown Street over seven years ago by property developer Elliot Lawless.
The condition had been agreed at a meeting of the council’s planning committee to discuss the development, Parliament Place, held in June 2015.
However, due to delays in getting a legal agreement signed between the council and the developer, the 116-unit apartment block was built before an official decision notice had been issued.
When the council sought to “regularise the enforcement position” of the development three years later, the condition was removed.
Responding to a Freedom of Information request submitted by the ECHO, Liverpool Council said the developer had carried out some highways works relating to the development, but this had been done “without supervision.”
The spokesperson said: “The developer commenced works before completing the legal agreement and before the planning permission was issued therefore in order to regularise the enforcement position of the development it was necessary to agree all matters that would have been subject to pre-development conditions before a decision notice could be issued.”
The spokesperson added that highways works were “completed by the developer without supervision” stating: “The works were inspected by LCC before the decision notice was issued without the planning condition”. As a result a highways agreement, known as a S278 agreement, was not “involved.”
Liverpool Council said it was unable to comment on issues relating to the planning permission due to ongoing investigations, although a spokesperson added that the recently installed cycle lanes on Kingsley Road was a “separate issue” and there had been “no impact” from the development.
Mr Lawless was contacted for comment but did not respond.
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