BOOT ESTATE IN NORRIS GREEN GET SHOWN NICE HOUSES BUT ARE STILL WAITING FOR ONES TO BE BUILT THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY LIVE IN

Norris Green gives old image the boot

Sep 13 2006

By NICK COLIGAN, Liverpool Echo


The notorious Boot estate used to be just a series of derelict boarded up houses but these new homes show what the future holds for the estate

BURNT out houses and derelict streets are being exchanged for trendy kitchens and lounges.

The new look - and new name - for Liverpool's notorious Boot estate is finally being unveiled.

A developer will officially launch three showhomes on the fringes of the near-derelict Norris Green neighbourhood, months after building work started.

And it hopes to shake off the Boot's reputation for decay and deprivation by christening the new estate "Ellergreen", the same as a nearby community centre.

Long-suffering residents have already had a sneak preview of two showhomes, which were finished some time ago.

But the third - a three-bedroom detached house - will be the most common design on the new estate's first phase.

Builders have now begun constructing 104 properties for sale, starting at £110,000, and 90 rented Cobalt housing properties. The first few should be ready by Christmas.

Later phases of the 640-home development will then begin.

Steve Barber, from developer New City Vision, said: "It is well-documented that the project has taken years to get over a set of obstacles.

"But now we have started full construction works, it is moving at a fast pace.

"The homes for rent have been prioritised for people who used to live in the immediate area previously. The homes for sale are aimed at a wide range of people, including first-time buyers.

"The first houses are now appearing and roofs will be going on shortly. They will be completed before Christmas, but final moving-in dates depend on access and utility issues.

"We decided to give residents the final choice on the new name, and we think people liked Ellergreen because it already has a local identity and signifies a new start."

Boot residents, who are surrounded by burnt-out, boarded-up houses, today praised the new designs, but demanded to know when properties would be ready.

Jane Canning, of Glassenby Crescent, said: "They are nice designs, but where are the houses? I am not bothered about looking at them yet.

"So many people have waited so long for a new home and I am watching them pass away one by one.

"I like the new name, but I would have called it 'Never Never Land'."

The last plan to rebuild the Boot estate collapsed four years ago, leaving hundreds of families in horrendous living conditions.

Cllr Marilyn Fielding, executive member for housing, said: "I am delighted that residents are finally able to get a glimpse of these high-quality homes.

"But we are aware that people have been waiting for several years and aim to make sure the properties are completed as quickly as possible."

LETS HOPE THE LIBERAL DEMOCRAT COUNCILLOR MARILYN FIELDING KEEPS HER WORD AS HER COLLEGUES HAVE CONTINUED TO LIE AND BLAME OTHERS IN THIS FIASCO.