Joy for Sir Ken Dodd Happiness Centre as planning permission secured
Liverpool City Council has given the £15m project the green light, signing off the four-storey archive, exhibition, and performance centre off Roe Street.
Liverpool’s Royal Court, The Comedy Trust, and The Sir Ken Dodd Charitable Foundation are behind the plans for the Sir Ken Dodd Happiness Centre. The consortium hopes to start construction on the scheme next year, enabling the facility to open in time for the late comedian’s 100th birthday in 2027.
In addition to being a permanent home to the Dodd archives, it would also contain an exhibition celebrating his life and career. There would be space for comedy-based workshops, talks, and performances as well as a 100-seat restaurant.
The centre would be constructed on the site of the current Courtyard Bar and Kitchen. It has been designed to connect to the Royal Court Theatre and will provide additional dressing rooms and office space for that venue.
Designs were drawn up by architect Allford Hall Monaghan Morris.
Paul Monaghan, an executive director at the firm, has been leading the project design.
“Having grown up in Liverpool in the sixties and seventies I was always aware of Sir Ken Dodd from his music, TV appearances and legendary performances,” Monaghan said.
“He was always a favourite because his humour was surreal and timeless which is why he was still a popular entertainer up until his passing.”
Monaghan added later: “The building will provide a great legacy for his work along with providing educational spaces for the youth of the city. Its multicoloured facade and sustainable design will provide a fitting landmark to a great man.”
While early CGIs included a gigantic tickling stick sculpture, Place has been informed that there will not be such an art piece at first. It may, of course, be added later – with Liverpool’s Royal Court chief executive Gillian Miller noting her ambitions for such a sculpture to become a landmark in the city.
Funding for the £15m GDV project has come primarily from the Sir Ken Dodd Charitable Trust. The centre has the full support of the Dodd family, too.
Dodd’s wife, Lady Anne Dodd, said: “I am thrilled that my dream of creating a legacy to celebrate Ken’s life has reached such a landmark stage.
“I think the building looks fantastic and I know Ken would be delighted at its location, just a stone’s throw from his favourite building in the city, St George’s Hall.”
She concluded: “Ken spent many happy hours entertaining thousands in the Royal Court Theatre and I know he would be delighted that his legacy building links to the theatre he helped to save back in 1979.”
Royal Court’s Miller talked about how Dodd’s wife had been involved from the get-go.
“We have been working with Lady Anne Dodd from the beginning of the design process to ensure that the building reflects Ken’s mantra that ‘Happiness is the greatest gift that we possess’,” Miller said.
“There is no better city than Liverpool to create a centre for happiness and wellbeing in, and we are looking forward to delivering a unique building for the city that epitomises happiness.”
You can learn more about the project by searching application reference number 23F/2966 on Liverpool City Council’s planning portal.
Can’t we have some giant Diddymen too?
By Anonymous
Looks like it’s been toned down considerably from the original renders – wasn’t the giant mouth at the top much more obvious? – and good to see the giant toilet brush has gone at least for now.
But it would be nice for one of the first things new visitors see leaving Lime Street to be a statement about Liverpool’s future and not even more nostalgia.
Although I’d probably swap this for the hideous bronze vampire that currently startles passengers on the station concourse, allegedly for the same purpose…
By Pam Butty
Hopefully they have done the right thing and dropped the much ridiculed bog brush.
By Anonymous
@Anonymous. No, you can’t. The clue is in their name.
By More Anonymous than the others
Looks a good quality building fits in well with the royal court , much better that the tacky pub that is currently there ..but glad the tickling stick has gone
By George
Embarrassing. I think the statue is more than enough, his impact as a celebrity is being well overstated (I wonder if anyone under 30 outside of Liverpool has ever heard of him) and he was a tax avoiding Thatcherite at the end of the day.
By Anonymous
My nan used to say he was a tax evader! Glad loo brush gone! Diddymen statues good idea.
It is a cracking song though! Happiness! V true!
By Lizzy Baggot
Looks decent stop whinging from Manchester
By Anonymous
@ George, I think your a bit behind the times, The Courtyard is not a tacky pub it’s a non offensive, standard, bar-cafe, whereby its predecessor, the Penny Farthing, was a tacky pub.
By Anonymous
Done a lot of good ken and lady dodd for the LHCH and she still does well done thank you
By Anonymous
Very sorry to see this level of architecture being built opposite St george’s Hall..
By John lynn
Bet this sailed through planning, as Ken is one of us, no queries about height they probably thought it wasn’t high enough . Then there was the materials, would it not have to match the brickwork on the Royal Court, nah them wood or metal strips will be ok. Will it contrast with the classic features of St George’s Hall, yer wha, let’s just pass it , all agreed then missus.
By the way I loved Doddy.
By Anonymous
This looks ugly, I hope it’s not as bad as this in real life. Dear god.
By David
No wonder nothing is happening regarding development wise in Liverpool my god are you all so miserable all the time and downtrodden
By Anonymous
Will make a nice bar for the Royal Court once it fails. Very few people are bothered about Ken Dodd, my grandad used to like him but he has been dead for years, can’t think of anyone else.
By Dom
Self Assessment tax returns named after Doddy. Yes, his time may have been long ago but he was a proud Liverpudlian and part of its history. Funding is primarily from his charitable trust, We can all have subjective views but its welcome to see local and private investment. Happiness.
By Hamish McDiddy
Agree with most of the comments, whilst it a great purpose the end result looks horrific and this will be a stain on Liverpool’s landscape for many years to come.
By Heritage Action
Just tell me they have ditched the giant toilet brush
By Anonymous
Hi Anonymous – as you’ll see within the story, the “giant toilet bush” is not included in the plans that were approved.
By Julia Hatmaker
Another week goes by and all we have show for it is Doddy`s Den, a care home in Childwall, and a hotel at the Fruit Exchange, just where are the great projects that the City Council say shows that Liverpool has turned the corner. The TJ Morris site is a long way off, the ex Police HQ doesn`t even have a developer yet, Pall Mall still on the back burner, and Chinatown is shrouded in mystery, it`s all very frustrating.
By Anonymous