Cert and Torus tipped for Liverpool approvals
Social provider Torus has proposed a new-build development in the Baltic Triangle, while Cert wants to convert former office space in Moorfields to residential.
Liverpool City Council’s planning committee meets on Tuesday 4 June to consider the projects.
Torus 62’s application covers the cleared site formerly occupied by Liver Grease Oil & Chemicals Company. The organisation took the site on and worked up plans after collapsed developer Crossfield’s plans for a 200-bed hotel fell by the wayside.
On the professional team are architect Studio RBA, planner and heritage advisor Savills, and Highways Advice.
The site is towards the eastern edge of the Baltic Triangle, fronting Norfolk Street to the north and Brick Street to the south. The site boundaries have been hoarded and the plot used as a compound for nearby building works.
Adjacent to the west is Baltic View, a nine-storey residential building, while to the other aside The Vault is currently under construction.
The site opposite on Norfolk Street contains an eight-storey student block, while there are also older warehouse buildings housing commercial space in the area – the site faces the Baltic Creative accommodation on the Brick Street side.
Torus wants to deliver a part eight-, part 10-storey building split into two blocks, linked centrally with a central stair/lift core with an external courtyard located to either side.
There would be four ground-floor commercial units, and the 93 flats would be split between 45 one-bed apartments, 45 two-bed apartments, and three three-bed apartments, including 21 wheelchair-accessible units This is a car-free proposal. All homes would be offered as ‘rent to buy’ intermediate affordable housing by the applicant, ie at 80% of market rent.
Cert bought the building in 2018. Credit: via Cert Property
At Moorfields, Cert is behind an office-to-residential project.
Falconer Chester Hall has designed the scheme, with Enabl advising on planning. Steven A Hunt, Clancy, Hydrock, Vectos, Hann Tucker, and Roger Hannah are also on the professional team.
As outlined by FCH, Centric was Cert’s first Liverpool investment, in 2018, when it refurbished the office space at the building, where Barclays is a former tenant.
In Liverpool alone, it has since bought, revamped, and fully let 105 Duke Street and acquired Elevator Studios, recently agreeing a deal with the Arts Bar for that building’s ground floor.
FCH provides a list of former Cert conversions: the developer having decided that with demand for grade B offices low, residential is the way forward for a well-connected building. Plans were lodged in January.
According to Enabl’s planning statement, the property has a single tenant in occupation occupying roughly 50% of the ground floor lettable area.
The building already benefits from a car park at basement level and a smaller car park at ground floor level within a ramped courtyard, both accessed from Dale Street.
Centric House fronts Moorfields Station and is surrounded by offices, apartments, and ground floor commercial, with some long-established clubs in the area.
The site is located within the Castle Street Conservation Area and in close proximity to Grade II Listed buildings; Guardian Assurance Building & Trident House.
Cert wants to bring a mix of apartment sizes, from one to three bedrooms with some duplexes included. No affordable homes are included.
Both projects are recommended for approval. Torus’ plans can be viewed on Liverpool’s planning portal with the reference 23F/1952, while Cert’s proposal is at 22F/3516.
Wow 8 storey this “Changed” Liverpool council is somehow even worse
By Jon
With the current faceless incumbent LCC planners still in post there is little point including the ” part eight-, part 10-storey building ” we all sadly know that’s the outcome . Time for a change of direction.
By Paul M - Woolton
Great stuff once again by torus , another big investment in the Baltic triangle.especially pleased to see the number of units fir disabled people
By George
Cert does decent quality stuff, but it’s a really bad sign if there is no demand at all for office space in a modern and fairly recently refurbished building in the Liverpool central business district, with onsite parking and next to a Merseyrail station.
Not really surprising there is so little developer interest in newbuild if this is the case…
By Rotringer
Sad whats happened to Liverpools commercial district.
By Anonymous
Looks like blocks to me
By Anonymous
LCC have no ambition for Liverpool. Nothing will change when Labour win general election in July unlike Manchester who will continue to grow.
By Paul86
Office conversions are a terrible idea. Slums of the future.
By Anonymous
Just gorgeous
By Anonymous
Positive news from Torus re their Baltic development, meanwhile the residential conversion on Moorfields needs to happen as this area needs an uplift and repopulating asap, there is so much vacant land there and residential is the key to regeneration here. On the downside this is more office space lost and until we can get more quality offices eg Pall Mall or Princes Dock, then we will have difficulty finding lettings.
By Anonymous
Re comment re height of torus building in the Baltic. I fully support tall buildings in the right place…but the Baltic is all mid level to fit the wharhouse ethos of the area . . Look forward to really high buildings 35/40 stories plus around king Edward area
By George
It beggars belief
By Bixteth Boy
More groundscrapers.
Thought we were moving on. Obviously not.
By Eric
5 years ago this would have been the best Liverpool could hope for, but now this looks pretty underwhelming in comparison to the other projects from this year. People in these comments should stop being defeatist just because of one underwhelming project and take a look at all the other positive development ideas that have come out these past few months.
By Anonymous
Skyscrapers are not a good look in this part of Liverpool
By Anonymous
Poor design. This doesn’t bode well for Liverpool
By Anonymous
This is disgusting. They should be building accessible homes and bungalows in a location like this.
By Anonymous
“Poor design” maybe this knowledgable poster would be prepared to elaborate, as the architect FCH are well established both in Liverpool , Manchester, and London, and appear to be well thought of.
By Anonymous
Great news for the Baltic. It’s just a shame the neighbouring Torus scheme was value engineered. It had a really fantastic ground floor design originally, with curved steel arches instead of the current square design. It could have been a real identifying feature.
By Anonymous
Manchester is obsessed with tall soul less anonymous buildings…it doesn’t have any identity. Liverpool will have skyscrapers in the right place …Baltic triangle is full of history and character..don’t spoil it for Manchester type egotism
By Anonymous
“groundscraper” lol nailed it
By Giant Skyscraper Fan
@10.22am, “Manchester soulless tall buildings”, come of it the place is buzzing. We need some serious talls in Liverpool and hopefully TJ Morris will provide them, we could do with a few on the Norton site at the Baltic too.
Imagine if a seriously global company wanted to set up in Liverpool with thousands of jobs and wanted a 40 storey building, would you refuse them?
You know what they say, pride before a fall.
By Anonymous
I didn’t suggest liverpool has no tall buildings just leaving the Baltic area largely devoid will give a different vibe and an atmosphere of its own. Can anyone actually identify any of mankfurts buildings bar a couple. Liverpool has half a dozen internationally recognisable ones and I agree the addition of say 6 or so skyscrapers around the northern edge of the city would be great..Leeds street etc. It would be possible to navigate around the centre and it’s separate quarters accordingly depending on the what locals and visitors.
By Anonymous
I don’t think the comments about height come from Liverpool. If you knew the site it’s bang in the middle of a tight urban setting. We already have plenty of tall building plots at Old Hall Street, King Edward’s estate and Pall Mall as well as Liverpool Waters of course.
By Paul Liver