The troubled history of a huyton tower block

AFTER MORE THAN SIXTY YEARS OF PROVIDING SOCIAL HOUSING, KNOWSLEY HEIGHTS IS NOW SET TO BE TORN DOWN 11:44, 08 Jun 2025 Since its unveiling in 1962, a Huyton tower block has experienced a

storied and troubled history. In many ways, Knowsley Heights reflects the fate of so many other high-rise developments which were thrown up during the post-war building boom. These tower

blocks came to be known as 'cities in the sky' and were inspired by the design principles developed by Swiss-born architect Le Corbusier. The large and imposing concrete structures

began appearing across the UK as local authorities cleared slum housing estates and built upwards. However, as the years passed, many of these blocks fell into disrepair - some immediately

- and became increasingly unpopular. Many high-rise blocks went onto to be called 'sink estates' due to their association with urban blight and social problem. As the decades

passed, more and more tower blocks were torn down whilst those that remained seemed only to have a stay of execution. Knowsley Heights (KH) was once a flagship housing development, providing

homes for local people for more than sixty years. However, almost 30 years after the first resident walked through its doors, a terrible incident occurred which came to shape housing policy

for years afterwards. The Knowsley Heights fire occurred on 5 April 1991 at the 11-story Knowsley Heights tower block in Huyton. Miraculously, no one was injured in the fire but it

seriously damaged the building with some sections completely collapsed and gutted. Article continues below The tower block blaze was reported during the early hours and by the time

firefighters arrived, the entirety of one external wall was alight. Flames could be seen billowing from windows on every floor as well as from the roof, after a rubbish fire near its base

had spread to the building itself. Following the fire, a presentation by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) showed that the cladding fitted around Knowsley Heights was of the

limited-combustibility variety. However, an investigation found the fire was able to spread to all eleven floors due to a lack of fire breaks in the newly installed cladding system. Knowsley

Heights and the subsequent inquiry into the fire played some role in a change of the law in terms of building regulations. It meant that material graded at least A2 - which means it is of

limited combustibility - must be used on the inside and outside of cladding. It also stipulated that the fire breaks that were missing at Knowsley Heights must be fitted in the gap between

the cladding and the wall. However, this was the last time these regulations were reviewed and updated - an oversight that could have contributed to several subsequent tower block tragedies

- including Grenfell. Fast forward ten years from the fire and Knowsley Heights was purchased by Livv Housing (LH) in 2002. LH is now one of the leading providers of social housing in

Knowsley and manages more than 13,000 properties across the Liverpool City Region and the North West. According to LH, the housing firm has spent more than £70m in health and safety,

compliance and energy efficiency works since taking ownership of KN. However, in recent years, the Liverpool ECHO has reported on numerous incidents of disrepair and anti-social behaviour at

the blocks. The most recent was raised by a pregnant woman who thought she was going to die after her flat door was covered in petrol and set on fire. The terrifying incident happened just

12 hours after someone set fireworks off outside her front door in what she described as a 'targeted' attack. Merseyside Police first attended the address at Knowsley Heights in

Huyton on the morning of May 14 after receiving a report fireworks had been set off at the woman's address and caused extensive damage to the entrance door. Merseyside Police said at

the time: Detective Inspector Steve Street said: “These incidents are clearly concerning for the resident of the flat, as well as neighbours at Knowsley Heights. “We are working with

partners including the housing association and the local authority so that all appropriate measures are taken to protect residents and prevent further incidents." Earlier this week -

and sixty years after it first opened - Livv Housing confirmed the tower block is set to be demolished. In a letter seen by the ECHO, addressed to residents of the block and dated June 2

2025, Livv's Director of Communities Sarah Smith said: "We're currently consulting with our customers who live at Knowsley Heights about proposed plans to demolish the flats

and move them to other homes on a permanent basis. "Should plans go ahead, it's proposed that new homes will be built on the site. Our proposals have been made following a thorough

review of the buildings and the investment required to modernise them." Article continues below A consultation period is now underway which will run until Friday June 27. Should plans

go ahead, the company says its "number one priority" is rehoming the residents who will also qualify for a Home Loss Payment of £8,100. A spokesperson for Livv Housing Group told

the ECHO: "“So far, initial feedback from the community has been resoundingly positive, with many welcoming our vision for high-quality homes where customers can truly thrive."