Liverpool people have been reacting to the news that land next door to one of the city’s most famous pubs has been sold for development.
Plans to transform the once-empty space next to The Pilgrim into two, four-bedroomed homes, has spurred a range of views and comments, on Twitter and in person.
A council with any vision wouldn't let that sort of dwelling be built there.
City centres need gentle density, not 4 bedroom single homes.
As everyone has already said, the noise complaints will be inevitable. Let's hope the council see sense when they come in.
— LiverpoolWanderer (@LiverpoolWande1) March 13, 2023
Assistant manager at The Pilgrim, Jason Flanagan, doesn’t anticipate much trouble from the new houses.
He said: “It can improve business, if anything, because you’ve got more local clientele to come along.
“But, when they build new residential areas, their residential rights outweigh your business rights. No matter how long you’ve been a business for.”
The Pilgrim lives in the shadow of Liverpool Anglican Cathedral, in the heart of the Georgian Quarter.
As one of the few cobbled streets remaining in Liverpool, some people feel protective of the area.
Megan Pude used to live opposite the Pilgrim, and currently works there as a bartender.
She said: “It’s got a really nice aesthetic down here.
“Most of the houses on the street are actually listed buildings so you can’t actually change things, whereas obviously that will be a new building and it kind of would just completely ruin the whole vibe.”
Though Megan loves the look of the area, she told MNL that it’s not without its drawbacks, for students and family homes.
“It kind of became inconvenient during exam season, when we’re all going to bed at like nine. And we’d hear [Jason] slam the shutter down at like half eleven.
“If it’s family homes I think you’ll get a lot of complaints in fact, because they’ll kind of look down in to the smoking area.
“The smoking area does get loud sometimes, especially when there’s a football match on.”
Construction of the houses is on-going, and whether they will become student housing is unknown at this time.
