Beetham makes home soil return with Liverpool towers
A joint venture between the Beetham Organisation and retailer TJ Morris has acquired King Edward Triangle industrial estate from Peel Waters to create a tall building cluster.
Hugh Frost, founder of Beetham, said he plans to deliver “a stunning mixed-use development worthy of our great city” on the Gibraltar Row site, which is earmarked for 1,200 homes under the Liverpool Waters masterplan.
“It’s a privilege and pleasure to be involved again on home soil in what is going to be a transformational project for Liverpool city centre,” he said.
“The site has outline planning consent as a neighbourhood of the Liverpool Waters masterplan, but our proposals will aim to be more ambitious, demonstrating what a well-planned tall building zone can really deliver.”
Frost is considered by some as a skyscraper pioneer and led the way for the development of tall buildings outside of London in the early part of the 21st century.
His Beetham Organisation is behind well-known towers in Liverpool, Manchester, and Birmingham – all designed by SimpsonHaugh Architects.
Liverpool’s tallest building, the 40-storey West Tower, was developed by Beetham and is located a stone’s throw from King Edward Triangle.
The site currently houses light industrial units. Credit: Peel
The acquisition of a site earmarked for towers in both the Liverpool Waters masterplan and the city council’s tall buildings framework presents Frost with the chance to go even higher this time around.
Last month, Liverpool City Council voted to lift a restrictive covenant at the industrial site, allowing Peel to progress the sale of the land. While speculation swirled around who would take on the plot, few would have predicted the return of Beetham, which has not been focussed on new developments for several years.
Tenants at King Edward Triangle raised concerns following that decision. Frost said that “every effort” would be made to help them relocate.
Peel, which has at times been criticised for what some onlookers view as a lack of progress at Liverpool Waters, also hailed the completion of the deal.
Chris Capes, director of development at Liverpool Waters, said: “Securing partners with such ambitions for this key site is fantastic news for Liverpool Waters and the city of Liverpool.
“The King Edward Triangle neighbourhood is a pivotal link between Liverpool Waters, the business district, and the city centre. Bringing in other developers and investors to work in partnership with us and accelerate the regeneration of Liverpool’s northern dockland has always been part of the strategy for the scheme.”
TJ Morris’s Dave Little, director at KEIE, added: “We believe this development will be transformational to our home city and is key to supporting our future economic growth.
“As a local company, we are proud to be playing our part in the regeneration of this area of the city. Key to our involvement is our partnership with Beetham, which has the right track record and the same desire as us to provide a landmark scheme for future generations.”
TJ Morris is active across the city delivering several developments including a student scheme in the Fabric District and an apartment block in Ropewalks.
Brabners acted for both TJ Morris and Peel Waters.
“Supporting on this deal is one we’re extremely proud of,” said Luke Taylor, partner at Brabners.
“It’s always pleasing to play our part enabling regeneration and supporting economic growth in the North, and across the country, and this project has the potential to be a gamechanger for the city of Liverpool and its skyline.
“We look forward to continuing to partner with the T J Morris and Beetham teams on this exciting scheme, to make the development a reality in the coming years.”
Get in! Proper people with a proper track record and the experience and pockets to deliver. Well done to everyone involved.
By More Anonymous than the others
Exciting news but my only concern would be that they would once again opt for SimsponHaugh. This is a fantastic plot that could truly elevate the whole waterfront, we already have one skyline near enough monopolised by one practice in the Northwest, let’s not make it two..
By Anonymous
This is amazing news, can we please have three towers at 35, 50 and 70 storeys to really show the world that Liverpool is back and ready to do business. High quality materials with no random cladding, floor to ceiling windows and a viewing gallery, with designs similar to One Nine Elms in London would look spectacular here.
By GetItBuilt!
SH have done some great work in Manchester, let’s hope some of this can come to this liverpool water front – they need to ambitions with 3-4 skyscrapers of 40 plus hight- hotels, offices, residential
By Stuart wood
This is fantastic news and will hopefully show the City is changing for the better.
By Simon
Something big that will show the world our best days are still ahead.
By Paul89
I’m looking forward to seeing what they come up with now, it says it could be bigger than West Tower, interesting.
By Anonymous
Looks like a goer, hopefully planning will let this through as it sounds like a game changer. With these towers , a cruise terminal and hotels, the Liverpool waterfront will begin realising its potential. If Peel can get things moving on Liverpool Waters, and we can persuade the Metro Mayor of the logic in building a Merseyrail station at Vauxhall we’ll know we are on the road to success in revitalising the city’s North End.
By Anonymous
A transformational deal for the city. Which will get delivered.
By Anonymous
Great news, lets hope the team includes as many local firms as possible!
By Dr Ian Buildings
Omg I can’t start smiling at this exciting news! Let’s get building!!! Woohoo!
By Anonymous
Most exciting news for Liverpool in a while. The skyline about to further cement itself as the best in UK
By Anonymous
Absolutely delighted this really is great news . Its brilliant to see TJ Morris involved in our city (and His ) , this has made my day. My only request is it really becomes an iconic cluster of buildings. Why don’t they run a competition for best design , same thing was done for the Liverpool Museum on the front.
But overall lets celebrate some genuine great news for our city .
By Paul M - Woolton
At last some hope for Liverpool. Let’s hope LCC and its Planning Dept don’t destroy this development.
By David
Glassy and classy please
By Anonymous
We’re so back!
By Anonymous
We need affordable bungalows and more office’s for jobs for the youngsters not fancy Dan apartment’s!
By Mary Woolley
I can see for miles!
By Roy
Exciting news, Liverpool seems to be on a roll at present, long may it continue.
By Liverpool4Progress
Brilliant news, T J Morris and Beetham make the perfect partnership. Liverpool deserves this.
By Anonymous
Let’s have some Shards and Gherkins up here. They might annoy the architectural snobs in London, but people will look out for them over things like the Barbican and the Trellisk tower, or bland boxes like the Beetham Tower in Manchester. It’s good to see tall buildings in Liverpool, but they’re not ambitious. Let’s give St Johns Tower, the 3 Graces and the Cathedrals something that can be easily picked out on those skyline profiles of Liverpool.
By MH
Great news for the city! Onwards + upwards, literally!
By Alan Robson (Project Four)
Brilliant news
By Anonymous
Fantastic news. The city hasn’t been doing this well since 2008!
By Anonymous
Two proper old school heavyweight developers who have been around for ages. If Beetham and TJ Morris together can’t build a cluster of tall buildings no one can. Great news.
By Old Hall Street
Let’s hope it starts soon
By Anonymous
Great news , there’s life in the old town yet!
By Liverpolitis
Not many cities have an asset like our waterfront. It’s been crying out for lofty skyscrapers for years and now it looks like we will get them. Been a difficult few years for the council but good to see progress made.
By Tom Lewis
“Peel, which has at times been criticised for what some onlookers view as a lack of progress at Liverpool Waters” – Lol that’s an understatement!
By LordLiverpool
This is brilliant, a proper developer with a proper scheme.
By Anon
Great news. And note all private money, including a successful multi billion pound Liverpool business being involved.
By Jeff
Fantastic news for Liverpool and the City region. 1200 apartments is quite significant. Let’s hope it’s iconic and befitting the location, and catapults Liverpool into the 21 Century, along with an ambitious council, who so far, have made a promising start. Forza Liverpool
By Stephen
Shards and Gherkin ! Lol…. Meanwhile back in reality. I’d settle for anything higher than a bungalow at the moment.
By Dan
We’ve had plenty of disappoints in liverpool- including lack of ambition, poor governance and sometimes openly hostile planning departments – let’s hope we’ve turn a corner – but I’ll remain sceptical till we see cranes in the air
By Stuart wood
Please make these buildings as high as possible make them iconic something that stands out and adds to our remarkable skyline
By Eddie
They need to go high, the higher the better and create a new cluster near the waterfront.
By TJL
Let’s learn from the mistakes of Manchester. Tall buildings don’t make for communities or desirable streets.
Let’s be more Barcelona than Manchattan.
By Myvountryisthefuture
Higher the better we can accommodate on our waterfront
By Anonymous
Fantastic news!! I am so glad an ambitious developer with a proven track record has stepped in and took the reins away from a loathing Peel and the timid LCC! SH have a reputation for glassglassglass high rises but I think 2 or 3 of these in the centre of the cluster could offer great contrast to our skyline. Lets pray LCC and their 6 storey modus operandi do not hinder the potential this has.
By Scouse Mick
Myvountryisthefuture you are right, the skyscaper districts in Manchester have been a disaster, nobody wants to go there, the wind is dangerous and most people living in them drive everywhere
By Peter
@Mary Woolley et al , how about a 55 storey tower with a bungalow on the top.
By Anonymous
@Peter, re the talls in Manchester, how do you know everyone in them drives everywhere? There is a fantastic tram network to get round the city and its suburbs, ample e scooters and bikes, taxis galore, and 3 trains per hour to London. I think you’re making it up.
By Anonymous
Nobody is saying talks are bad, but sustainable communities are what we all want., not lots of short term party lets with no skin.in the game.
By Myvountryisthefuture
@Peter, That’s not true at all tbh infact your far less likely to own a car if you live in a high-rise.
By Anonymous
Eyesores! All support based purely on keeping up with Manchester.
By Bixteth boy
Excellent news, I wonder if they’d also be interested in buying up Infinity Waters and finally finishing that as a side project
By More anonymous than More Anonymous than the others
This opposition to talls, based on what? Pure dislike of anything modern or breaking the status quo. Liverpool is a big metropolis with a small part of it being the city centre, bounded by what I would see is the Leeds Street area in the north and Parliament Street in the south, and this where we can build tall ,high density housing and offices. Beyond this we can have our family housing and lower-rise flats. Also it’s a myth that you can only have communities in low-rise housing, as some of our estates have no community cohesion at all and have various social problems. In Liverpool we suffer from a vociferous minority who unfathomabley seem to like living in rundown areas that never change and see anyone who wants to break out of this cycle as traitors.
By Anonymous
@Bixteth Boy- give over it was Liverpool that paved the way for skyscrapers .
Could think of a more suitable location to accolade them and am sure they won’t be square .
By Anonymous
How many lowscrapers then. I await with baited breath.
By Eric
This is a one shot opportunity to get it right. I share the opinion below I my concern too is that SimpsonHaugh would be chosen for this and they already dominate the skyline in Manchester. The Waterfront is an exceptional site and only exceptional architects can be chosen for it. World renowned architects with genuine talent such as Norman Foster or Renzo Piano would be able to create something that would be truly exceptional. Anything less just will not do. Liverpool needs to have this kind of ambition.
By John
@BixtethBoy Eyesores LOL, no images have been released yet. You’re moaning for moaning sake.
By Anonymous
“Eyesores..keeping up with Manchester” if only we could keep up with Manchester! Plenty of jobs, lots of development, lots of investors, growing population, proper tram system and not glorified bendy buses,able to talk to government with authority, etc.
Hopefully TJMorris and Hugh Frost can get this off the ground, and encourage more investors.
By Bixteth Girl
@Bixteh Boy, give you’re head a wobble and think of others who will benefit from the employment aspects of this,long after you enter the Home for the Bedfuddled.
By Liverpool4Progress
This is really brilliant news with both Hugh Frost and TJ Morris having a proven track record in making things really happen. It would be great if they could take over the old Norton scrap metal site at the bottom of Upper Parliament street so that a major part of the amazing waterfront could be ‘book ended’ by what I would hope would be two sets of really iconic and standout buildings that our fine city so very richly deserves. Bring them on!!!
By Brendan R