Plans for a new 3G football pitch and changing rooms in Liverpool 8 have been helped by a decision to allow land to be sold for housing.
Tiber Community Building want to develop community based leisure and sports facilities – including the pitch – on the site of the former Tiber Street school.
The Football Foundation has indicated that they can apply for a grant of up to £500,000 but match funding is needed.
To meet the funding gap they want to sell a 0.6 acre strip of land along Coltart Road for housing development with the potential for about 25 new homes to be built.
However, when Tiber acquired the site from the council in 2005 a covenant was placed on it saying it could only be developed for community use sport, education, or cultural purposes.
The cabinet has agreed to lift the covenant and allow the plot of land to be sold for housing to raise funds to cover the gap.
Councillor Malcolm Kennedy, cabinet member for regeneration, said: “The Tiber project is an important element in the regeneration of this part of the city and their scheme to bring new leisure facilities is imaginative and one that will bring great benefits to the area.
“It is significant that the FA have included the Tiber site as being particularly important as it meets their diversity agenda to increase the number of black and ethnic minority players, coaches and referees.
“Our agreement to ease the restrictions on the use of the land will allow this scheme to progress and make a big difference to the community.”
Debbie Wright, Tiber Trustee, said; “This project, which is led by local young people, offers a once in a lifetime opportunity for making positive changes in their local neighbourhood and we are delighted that Liverpool City Council are giving the scheme their full support”.
