Planners approve £150m Cains Brewery Village

Construction of a £150m tourism, leisure and retail attraction on the site of Liverpool's Cains brewery has been approved by planners.

A development partner is now being sought for The Cains Brewery Village, which will incorporate the grade 2-listed Cains brewery buildings. Hotel, cinema and supermarket operators are also being sought.

The development will include a return to production of craft ales for sale in the UK and overseas.

It is hoped that the first phase of the 1m sq ft development in Liverpool's Baltic Quarter will be complete by summer 2016.

Production was halted at the Cains brewery earlier this year after the company was wound up with debts understood to be several million pounds following the loss of a major contract.

Brewery Village is a new company established by the family of Sudarghara Dusanj, who operated the brewery and still owns the land and buildings.

The plans will see the restoration of the grade 2-listed brewery building. It will house the new Cains brewery, museum and event centre and will feature a Sky Bar in the roof which will offer views over the city and the river Mersey.

The building will also house a 94-room boutique hotel, courtyard bistro bar and restaurants and a large open plan retail hall for artisan food producers to make and sell their produce on site.

There will also be a designer retail market for independent fashion businesses and function rooms. The existing historic Brewery Tap pub will be restored and retained.

The plans also include a four-screen independent art-house cinema, a supermarket, health/beauty and fitness centre, up to 775 high quality homes or 2,500 student bedrooms and 500-plus car parking spaces.

The independent art-house cinema is to have treated copper panels on the outside to reflect the copper vessels traditionally used as part of the brewing process.

Sudarghara Dusanj, managing director of Cains Brewery Village, said: "We are going to create a major new tourism and leisure asset for the city which will secure the future of the Cains beer brand and the grade 2-listed brewery for decades to come.

"We are now seeking development partners and operators for the cinema, hotel and supermarket to help take the scheme forward. We are particularly keen to speak to upmarket quality supermarket operators who want to take advantage of what is a clear gap in the city market.

"We'd like to thank the city's planning and regeneration team for all their help in bringing this forward as well as our Baltic Triangle neighbours who have been extremely supportive and have bought into our vision."

Architect for the scheme is Falconer Chester Hall. Brewery Village was advised by Turley Associates.