Furious local residents staged a sit-in protest in opposition to Liverpool Council's approach of pulling up historic Yorkstone paving and replacing it with tarmac.
Anger grows over alleyway works
Anger has been growing in the Garston area of Liverpool ever since the council began work, which it says is to improve alleyways in around the areas of Moss Street, Earp Street and Clifton Street in the area. Local people have been unhappy to see the original paving slabs replaced with tarmac.
Feelings reached boiling point today when one frustrated member of the community staged a sit-in protest in an attempt to block the council workers from tearing up the historic stone paving in an alleyway. The ECHO understands he was later moved on after police were called.
Local expert explains the upset
While the protestor didn't want to speak to us or be identified, local professional expert Matt Brockhurst, who runs Brockstone Ltd, explained why so much upset has been caused by the council's actions. Matty was one of the first to highlight the issue on social media.
He told the ECHO: "I'm a local paving contractor I walk around with my head looking at the pavements, I am really passionate about my job and I love old stone. I have always admired the old stone in Garston. I have thought about helping to restore it."
"Then one day recently was walking down the street and I saw them ripping it up. I took a few pictures and approached my local councillors. I wanted to make people aware that the York Stone paving was getting ripped out and replaced with tarmac."
Matty put a post on the local area's facebook page to raise awareness and a post on his own business Instagram page ended up with 70,000 views and hundreds of comments.
He added: "That stone has been there since the houses were built, it is part of the fabric of the area. It is good that they are improving the area, but it could have been done more sympathetically and in keeping with the aesthetic of the street. The fabric of the community is being torn apart."
Councillor demands fairness
Local councillor Lucy Williams said she and residents were particularly annoyed to hear that the historic Yorkstone, thought to be 100-years-old in some cases, was set to be reused elsewhere in the city.
She said: "Residents understand the need to repair our alleyways, but they cannot understand why Garston’s historic York stone is being ripped up and replaced with tarmac while that same stone is considered valuable enough to preserve the heritage of other parts of Liverpool. This is about fairness as much as heritage. Garston deserves the same respect and investment as every other part of our city, and until the council explains why reclaimed York stone cannot be reused here, residents will continue to feel they’re being treated as second class."
Council defends the work
A Liverpool City Council spokesperson said: "We are undertaking a programme of work to improve alleyways across the city. This work includes removing excess waste, clearing weeds, and resurfacing alleyways which are uneven or damaged beyond repair due to vermin and general wear and tear.
"Some alleyways that are due to be resurfaced currently have York stone paving. We do not currently have the stone needed to carry out repairs, and in some locations the ground has deteriorated to the point that resurfacing is required to prevent potential accidents.
"As the full area of existing stone cannot be repaired for its current use, it will be removed and the stone will be reused where possible. We are currently exploring opportunities for the stone to be reused within the local area.
"The entire alleyway will be resurfaced with tarmac. This means the entire area is covered with a durable, long-lasting and easier-to-maintain material. An inconsistent approach that mixes sections of tarmac among the existing stone could create weak points as well as making the ground unsightly.
"We understand that some residents may feel unhappy about the decision, but we would like to remind them that entering an active work site is a health and safety hazard."
