Hotel plotted for Liverpool’s Chinatown
Permission for a rear extension is sought for two listed buildings on Nelson Street, where a tea room and 25 hotel rooms are proposed.
In plans now filed with Liverpool City Council, Global School Alliance has set out its intention to expand at the rear of the four-storey 24 and 26 Nelson Street, part of a small cluster of listed buildings.
Key advisors on the project are development consultant Baltic PDC, planner JMP and architect 16a.
JMP’s planning statement sets out the applicant’s aspiration for the site that would see the tea room pick up day trade as “a natural Chinese cultural hub for tourists. Arriving by car, coach, plane or cruise when they approach the gate, the oldest Chinese community in Europe, they will have a place to stop and stay a while”.
Furthermore, the development, a “next-level destination for domestic and international visitors”, would be used to strengthen further the cultural ties between Liverpool and Shanghai, “one of the longest most successful Chinese Sister City relationships in the UK”.
The applicant said that “Liverpool’s Chinatown should rival that of Manchester and London,” stating that “Chinatown was full of life 20 years ago when I was a child, 20 years later I want to see a community full of youthful life once again. To see a resurgence in activity in this part of the city would be a celebration of her history and a firm footing in her future”.
Along with a change of use consent, what is sought is consent for the new-build element of 2.5 storeys, going from basement to first floor. There would be eight hotel rooms in the extension, according to the filed hotel management plan. The restaurant is proposed as 50 covers.
Global School Alliance is an international education and citizenship network, based in Liverpool’s Hope Street.
Documents relating to the Nelson Street proposal can be viewed on LCC’s planning portal with the reference 24F/3331
Good proposal. A hotel is a great idea for Chinatown. What would also be good is for a developer to try to buy up the few 80s/90s built houses at the Park lane end of the street and replace them with a larger building of around 4/5 floors with commercial at ground floor and offices/apartments above. Nelson street needs connecting properly into the Baltic triangle, as it should act as an ideal entry and exit point into it from Berry street. I know it is not
easy to buy up people’s homes and expect them to move, but it is easier with only a handful of houses and much cheaper than what the land would cost as a development site with planning permission.
By Anonymous
Excellent china town desperately need new life
By George
This section, ie part of the traditional Chinatown, needs a massive uplift and looks to me like too many idle properties are in the hands of Chinese owners who are just letting them fester, and younger entrepreneurs from that community need to be given the chance to modernise the place and refurbish many of these still elegant, period properties. There are positive signs that the area can improve eg the big Fusion development on Upper Duke St will bring much needed footfall, and of course now the Council have bought the Chinatown Development site things could be about to happen there with hundreds more residences built. In the meantime the China/Asian influence continues to spread in the general are with more restaurants, shops, and service providers opening on Berry Street, Renshaw St, Myrtle St, and so on.
So all in all a hotel etc on Nelson St is good news.
By Anonymous
Yes good luck China Town, the area around Myrtle Street and others close to the University are attracting a few Chinese
related businesses now and with the council now owning the land for New China Town the prospects for a resurgence of our
Chinese community looks promising.
By Liverpolitis
Wonderful proposition to bring life back into the area and encourage regeneration of the whole area bringing it to the attention of the world through encouraging visitors
By Anon
Excellent position for proposed plans close to the
Excellent position for proposed development for locals & tourists. This could lead to other businesses to start up ie Chinese foodstuffs/fancy goods/Chinatown historical books & postcards/clothing/barber + hairdresser/medical & dental/pharmacy.
By Anonymous