Light concerns scupper Liverpool office-to-resi plans
Seth Real Estate’s attempt to convert Imperial Court in the city centre into 106 apartments has been blocked by the city council due to some rooms having insufficient levels of daylight.
Liverpool City Council has rejected plans to convert the 10-storey former HMRC building off Exchange Street into flats because almost half of the rooms would not meet the required level of natural light.
“Out of a total of 240 habitable rooms, 118 rooms (49%) would not achieve the BRE’s respective lux target to 50% of their area”, according to an officer report.
A report compiled by consultant Proximity supporting the application argues that the light levels fall “within a perceived acceptable tolerance of the daylight target”.
Following changes to permitted development rights for office-to-resi conversions that came into force in 2024, Imperial Court would be eligible for redevelopment without planning permission providing it meets certain criteria around room size and light levels.
However, the developer would require approval for the change of use to go-ahead with the works and that cannot be given if targets for natural light are not met.
Seth Real Estate’s planned conversion would be carried out under permitted development rights with no external changes planned.
The 85,000 sq ft of vacant office space would be redeveloped into 73 one-bed flats and 33 with two bedrooms.
HMRC vacated the building and several others when it consolidated its Liverpool operations into the 270,000 sq ft India Buildings.
NC Architecture is leading on design and Broadgrove Planning is advising on planning matters.
The Imperial Court scheme is the third development Seth Real Estate has nudged forward in the last year. In 2025, the company unveiled plans for a large co-living development in Pumpfields as well as a 143-bed hotel conversion on Church Street.
That’s good news, Liverpool doesn’t need another low quality office to resi conversion (One Moorfields), especially in the CBD. This building needs stripping back to its frame and rebuilt as A grade office space with some additional floors, nice simple Portland stone frame fenestration, a modern foyer, solar panels, roof garden/terrace. It could even be split into office and hotel. Liverpool has a shortage of A grade office space and hotel rooms so would easily Let very quickly.
By GetItBuilt!
These cheap office to resi conversions absolutely need to be pushed back against. The fact they can dodge planning permission is scandalous.
By Anonymous
Good news, well done LCC.
By Anonymous
That’s really good news. They must have someone new at the Cunard, interesting to see if such sensibleness lasts – hopefully Seth (?) can’t appeal on the basis “Everyone else got away with it”…
By Rotringer
Could this building be developed into Grade A office space since there is a serious shortage in the city ?
By Steve
Well done to Liverpool City Council for taking daylight and living standards seriously here.
City-centre housing is needed, but it must be good-quality housing. Converting empty office space can make sense, but not if a large number of future residents would be left with homes that do not meet reasonable standards for natural light.
We should all stay mindful and vigilant about supporting development that improves the city, while pushing back on proposals that risk creating poor-quality accommodation.
By LordLiverpool
At last a good decision
By Dan
Good news, a good natural light source is vital for mental health thus in turn physical health.
By Dino Carlucci.
They will just build it and sell to investors just like centric house on moorefilds it’s had planning rejected many time it’s now built as apartments and activity being sold to investors
By George
George – the planning permission at Centric House was refused, so the developer utilised prior approval rights to convert from it to residential use (the same route Seth Real Estate has tried for this building). Centric House passed the daylight and sunlight test, hence why it was approved.
By Anonymous
This office block is large and fairly modern, and bang in the middle of our traditional business district, surely it just needs an upgrade. If Seth, or anyone else, wants to build residential blocks in this location there is ample empty land on Moorfields and off Tithebarn St/Chapel St and though these might have to be height restricted due to the presence of railway tunnels the opportunities are obvious.
By Anonymous
Steve – Whilst I agree with the sentiment, the problem (as always) is viability. If the right space is provided, I think it would work very well. This is where something like the CA should utilise one of their funding streams to look at these types of ‘stranded assets’ and try and find a solution either themselves or working with various partners
By Charlie
Having had their fingers burnt many times already (Graham House, Centric House, Silk House Court, to name a few) why on earth hasn’t LCC issued an Article 4 Direction to remove office to residential prior approval rights in the CBD? It makes a mockery of the Local Plan.
By Anonymous
how dare the future owners of the apartments demand natural light.
By unreasonable
Responding to 10:03 am by Anonymous, Liverpool hasn’t issued a CBD‑wide Article 4 for office / residential probably because:
It must prove serious harm (high legal bar), national policy favours these conversions, there’s financial/legal risk in doing so, evidence may be insufficient or mixed, conversions may support regeneration goals
Also, I don’t consider Liverpool is not currently on a trajectory toward a CBD-wide Article 4, The strongest current trend is actually: Controlled co-existence of offices and residential, not restriction.
By Steve
Not all these office to residential developments are cheap looking, the ones done by Mandale outside the Law Courts, and on James Street look decent to me.
I think they would’ve made a good fist of the Bonded Tea Warehouse but we’re refused by Liverpool council for no proper reason, and I hope it hasn’t put them off investing here.
By Anonymous
Whilst its important to make sure that we are delivering quality housing. There is a reasonable argument to make that we shouldn’t be too fussy as some units with poor daylighting is better than no units.
At the end of the day, no one is being forced to live in these buildings, if they are too dark and dingy then people will be able to make the decision to not live in them.
If we have more residential units, we will have a more competitive market, increasing standards and lowering prices. Especially as people are constantly being priced out the market and we have a housing shortage.
It’s hard to suggest that we shouldn’t be allowing low cost (and probably low quality) units to be produced, as inevitably its probably better living in some of these black mould ridden HMOs where you could be living in the same space as dangerous strangers.
By Dr Ian Buildings