Belle Vale, Liverpool
Encyclopedia
Belle Vale is a district of south-east Liverpool
, Merseyside
, England
and a Liverpool City Council
Ward that covers both Belle Vale and Netherley.
, Netherley, Gateacre
and Childwall
. The main road in Belle Vale is Childwall Valley Road (B5178) running from Childwall through to Netherley. The old North Liverpool Extension Line
(loop line) at the back of Hartsbourne Avenue divides Belle Vale and Gateacre.
Belle Vale District Centre has a number of amenities including a fire station, police station, health centre, large shopping centre, and also Belle Vale Park
. The Belle Vale Junior football league now plays in nearby Netherley.
As a small district, it is often misrepresented as Childwall or Gateacre, which are larger and more affluent neighbouring suburbs. The Belle Vale area is also divided with different housing estates having their own local names, such as Hartsbourne, Lee Park and Naylorsfield, adding to the confusion.
Liverpool City Council themselves have left the Belle Vale area in somewhat of a quandary, as from 2005 onwards signs to identify the districts in the city were put up on Childwall Valley Road saying Gateacre (towards the Shopping centre and Netherley) and Childwall (towards Childwall) and none saying Belle Vale. Despite Belle Vale's amenities and established centres bearing its name, the city council, in their wisdom, refuse to acknowledge the Belle Vale area's existence with local signs.
The postcode for Belle Vale is L25, which is also the postcode for nearby Woolton
and Gateacre
.
were erected in Belle Vale between the years 1945-1947 in order to provide affordable rented accommodation for people whose homes were destroyed in bombing raids on the city during World War II
, making it one of the largest Prefab communities in the country.
Its most famous ex-resident is Sir Terry Leahy
, chief executive of Tesco
, the UK's biggest supermarket chain. Leahy is also President of the Belle Vale Prefab Project.
Gateacre Community Comprehensive School
relocated to land off Hedgefield Road, including part of the former Reggie Smith Playing Fields, in 2011. The project originally anticipated costing £35 million. The football playing fields have moved to a new soccer centre on open land at nearby Caldway Drive, Netherley.
eastbound and Woolton, Halewood, Garston and Speke
southbound. The main Liverpool city centre routes operate from nearby Childwall Valley Road.
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and a Liverpool City Council
Liverpool City Council
Liverpool City Council is the governing body for the city of Liverpool in Merseyside, England. It consists of 90 councillors, three for each of the city's 30 wards. The council is currently controlled by the Labour Party and is led by Joe Anderson.-Domain:...
Ward that covers both Belle Vale and Netherley.
Description
Belle Vale area shares borders with HuytonHuyton
Huyton is a suburb of Liverpool within the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley, with some parts belonging to the borough of Liverpool in Merseyside, England. It is part of the Liverpool Urban Area and has close associations with its neighbour, Roby, having both formerly been part of the Huyton with...
, Netherley, Gateacre
Gateacre
Gateacre is a district of Liverpool, England, located approximately from the city centre. It is bordered by Childwall, Woolton and Belle Vale...
and Childwall
Childwall
Childwall is a suburb of Liverpool, Merseyside, England and a Liverpool City Council Ward. It is located to the south of the city, bordered by Gateacre, Wavertree, Belle Vale, Broadgreen, Bowring Park and Mossley Hill...
. The main road in Belle Vale is Childwall Valley Road (B5178) running from Childwall through to Netherley. The old North Liverpool Extension Line
North Liverpool Extension Line
The North Liverpool Extension Line is a now-disused railway line in Liverpool, England. The line was to be the eastern section of the Merseyrail Outer Loop...
(loop line) at the back of Hartsbourne Avenue divides Belle Vale and Gateacre.
Belle Vale District Centre has a number of amenities including a fire station, police station, health centre, large shopping centre, and also Belle Vale Park
Belle Vale Park
Belle Vale Park is a small family park in the Belle Vale area of Liverpool. The park is also home to the Lee Valley Millennium Centre Belle Vale Park is the only public open space in Belle Vale, providing a valuable setting for a range of recreational and cultural facilities for local residents...
. The Belle Vale Junior football league now plays in nearby Netherley.
As a small district, it is often misrepresented as Childwall or Gateacre, which are larger and more affluent neighbouring suburbs. The Belle Vale area is also divided with different housing estates having their own local names, such as Hartsbourne, Lee Park and Naylorsfield, adding to the confusion.
Liverpool City Council themselves have left the Belle Vale area in somewhat of a quandary, as from 2005 onwards signs to identify the districts in the city were put up on Childwall Valley Road saying Gateacre (towards the Shopping centre and Netherley) and Childwall (towards Childwall) and none saying Belle Vale. Despite Belle Vale's amenities and established centres bearing its name, the city council, in their wisdom, refuse to acknowledge the Belle Vale area's existence with local signs.
The postcode for Belle Vale is L25, which is also the postcode for nearby Woolton
Woolton
Woolton is a suburb of Liverpool, Merseyside, England and a Liverpool City Council Ward. It is located at the south of the city, bordered by Gateacre, Hunts Cross, Allerton and Halewood. At the 2001 Census the population was recorded as 14,836.-History:...
and Gateacre
Gateacre
Gateacre is a district of Liverpool, England, located approximately from the city centre. It is bordered by Childwall, Woolton and Belle Vale...
.
History
Over one-thousand prefabricated homesPrefabricated buildings
Prefabricated building is a type of building that consists of several factory-built components or units that are assembled on-site to complete the unit.- Prefabricated Housing :"Prefabricated" may refer to buildings built in components Prefabricated building is a type of building that consists of...
were erected in Belle Vale between the years 1945-1947 in order to provide affordable rented accommodation for people whose homes were destroyed in bombing raids on the city during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, making it one of the largest Prefab communities in the country.
Its most famous ex-resident is Sir Terry Leahy
Terry Leahy
Sir Terry Leahy is a former CEO of Tesco, the largest British supermarket chain.He lives in Cuffley, Hertfordshire, with his wife, Alison and his three children.- Early life :...
, chief executive of Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
, the UK's biggest supermarket chain. Leahy is also President of the Belle Vale Prefab Project.
Education
Schools in Belle Vale include Childwall Valley Primary School, Belle Vale Community Primary School, Our Lady of The Assumption Primary School and Belle Vale Sure Start.Gateacre Community Comprehensive School
Gateacre Community Comprehensive School
Gateacre Community Comprehensive is a secondary school and sixth form college located in Belle Vale, Liverpool. The school is Coeducational with both male and female pupils from years 7 to 11 and throughout the sixth form....
relocated to land off Hedgefield Road, including part of the former Reggie Smith Playing Fields, in 2011. The project originally anticipated costing £35 million. The football playing fields have moved to a new soccer centre on open land at nearby Caldway Drive, Netherley.
Transport
Belle Vale has its own small bus interchange next to the shopping centre on Hedgefield Road, connecting to, among other areas, Huyton and St HelensSt Helens, Merseyside
St Helens is a large town in Merseyside, England. It is the largest settlement and administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens with a population of just over 100,000, part of an urban area with a total population of 176,843 at the time of the 2001 Census...
eastbound and Woolton, Halewood, Garston and Speke
Speke
Speke is an area of Liverpool, Merseyside, England, close to the boundaries of the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley. It is south east of the city centre and to the west of the town of Widnes....
southbound. The main Liverpool city centre routes operate from nearby Childwall Valley Road.
External links
- Liverpool Street Gallery - Liverpool 25 (Belle Vale)
- Liverpool City Council: Ward Profile
- Lee Valley Library
- Port Cities Illustrated History of Belle Vale
- Childwall Valley Road E Chambre Hardman Archive
- LiverPages - Business, Charity and Trades Directory in Liverpool
- Belle Vale Prefabs Project Pictures and Written Memories of post-war prefabs past dwellers