B0819

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BOOTLE

20 February 2019

www.champnews.com

Vol 26 l Issue 8

‘Just look at the state of our golf club’

INSIDE THIS WEEK:

Ping Pong Parlour for Strand

‘EXTRA CARE’ HUB VISION FOR EMPTY TOWER BLOCK Report by Tom Martin AMBITIOUS plans have been unveiled to transform a empty tower block in Bootle into an “extra care apartment facility” with viewing decks, a gym and yoga room, cinema roof and therapy rooms. Irlam House, on Church Walk, will be completely refurbished inside, with two additional penthouse floors, including a communal lounge and top floor restaurant. The empty 16 storey tower block contains 91 flats which were occupied as recently as last year, when the Champion reported how One Vision Housing (OVH) turfed out the 91 tenants in June after the Bootle-based housing firm made a decision to “decant” the flats. OVH claimed that a “viability assessment” found that there was not enough current and future demand for this type of accommodation within the local area. Under plans submitted to Sefton Council the inside of the flats will be refurbished, the building will be re-cladded, with two single storey extensions added to the ground floor and two further floors contructed. Improvements would also be

Revamp plans include two new penthouse floors, gym/yoga room and top floor restaurant made to the landscaping and parking. The plans also include viewing decks, a gym and yoga room, cinema roof, craft rooms and beauty therapy rooms. The planning application, which has been put forward by a developer given as VVHC, states: “Irlam House is a typical 1960s residential tower block which has been refurbished in the past but is currently in relatively poor condition. “The existing building is vacant and includes 91 apartments with ancillary and plant room space on the ground floor. “All the apartments on upper floors are to be retained but re-ordered for extra care use with more generous circulation space resulting in them all becoming one-bedroomed accommodation. “The ground floor apartment is to be removed to create space for shared residential amenity space. “The existing tower is to be extended at

ground floor front and rear to create an improved entrance and dining space and is to include an additional two floors on the top of the tower for additional shared resident amenity space. “Screened roof plant space has been provided on the roof. To improve vertical access a new 13 person lift extension is also proposed serving all floors. “With regard to the external works it is proposed to close off the dead-end road to the south of the tower and incorporate this space within the tower grounds to provide improved residential garden space. “Car parking facilities are to be upgraded and external boundaries improved.” The application adds that the development “will provide much needed homes for local people” and will provide for effective use of the land, by bringing the existing tower back into use and refurbishing it to a modern high quality standard.”

An artist’s impression of the new-look care facility, main picture, and above left, how the tower block is now.

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