Listed buildings on the site of the former Holly Lodge Girls’ College in West Derby, Liverpool, are to be protected and sensitively converted as part of a proposed redevelopment.
A public consultation is taking place on Wednesday 11 March from 5pm to 7.30pm in the school hall of the new Holly Lodge Girls’ College on Mill Lane.
The proposed scheme forms part of the new Liverpool Housing Partnership forged between Liverpool City Council, Redrow Homes and Liverpool Mutual Homes to deliver 1,500 new homes and bring a further 1,000 back into use across the city.
The site is being redeveloped following completion of a £7 million revamp of Holly Lodge school, which has seen new buildings constructed to replace others which were unsuited to delivering a modern curriculum. The proposed new development will help contribute towards the cost of the Schools Investment Programme.
Local residents and business will be invited to review and discuss proposals for the Holly Lodge site prior to a planning application being submitted.
Redrow has already pledged to retain two Grade II listed lodges known as Fremont and Sandheys and, under current thinking, hopes to convert these into six new homes. Some of the walls and buildings in the curtilage of the two lodges will be retained as features too.
The remainder of the site will be developed for new housing and Redrow will present designs from its new Regent Collection, which it deems to be in keeping with the site’s existing architecture.
Redrow’s Regent Collection evokes the neo-classical Georgian style architecture of the early 19th century – the original Holly Lodge was constructed in the early 1830s – and designs typically feature characterful frontages, with stone bandings and ashlar render detailing, often accompanied by stone porticos and gable pediments.
The main school building, known as Holly Lodge, will be demolished along with the modern school buildings, to make way for the new housing. The lodge itself has been declared ineligible for listing by the Government following an inspection by English Heritage. They concluded that it had been substantially altered and modernised both inside and out since it was built, leading to the loss of numerous original features.
A stained glass triptych (three parts) screen installed around 1885 and depicting the Jolly Miller has already been restored and relocated to the new Holly Lodge Girls’ College, and will be visible at the public consultation event.
Councillor Ann O’Byrne, Liverpool’s Cabinet member for housing, said: “This proposed scheme is designed to retain the listed buildings on the Holly Lodge site and develop them carefully in a way which will enhance the site. We very much welcome the views of local people about the scheme, which is why we are holding this consultation event.”
Redrow Homes (Lancashire) land manager Gareth Stansfield commented: “The public consultation on March 11 will provide an opportunity for people to see the sensitive approach we are taking with these plans including refurbishment, new build and conservation of the pond. Redrow has an excellent track record for refurbishing listed buildings and developing the land around them for new housing, including old hospitals, barracks, schools and civic buildings.
“A local example of this can be seen in Culcheth, near Warrington, where Redrow previously converted a beautiful crescent of Victorian hospital buildings – originally used as a children’s home – schoolhouse and water tower into highly sought-after new homes. We will bring the same high quality approach, sensitivity and attention to detail to the Holly Lodge scheme.”
The City Council’s conservation officer and English Heritage will be very closely involved with the application and will need to be satisfied with the integrity of Redrow’s scheme.
The public consultation takes place on Wednesday 11 March between 5pm and 7.30pm in the school hall of the new Holly Lodge Girls’ College, Mill Lane, West Derby, Liverpool, L13 0AE
