Liverpool approves resi conversion for long-vacant James Street office

District & Urban Developments has been granted permission to convert empty workspace within Crown House into apartments 21 years after the last tenants left.

Liverpool City Council has approved the application, submitted in August, under delegated powers.

District and Urban’s project features a ground floor retail unit, 16 apartments, some in a three-storey rooftop extension.

Crown House has been vacant for more than two decades and two previous change of use applications have been approved but never enacted.

The most recent iteration of the project would deliver a one-bed and 15 two-bed apartments, of which four would be classed as affordable.

According to the planning statement submitted by Avison Young, there has been a lack of interest in Crown House during the many years it has been marketed as office space.

While Liverpool has approved planning permission for District and Urban’s scheme, another city centre office-to-resi conversion was rejected by the city council’s planning committee last year.

CERT’s plans to repurpose Centric House are now being delivered under permitted development rights.

Along with Avison Young, Craig Foster Architects, Curtins, Mason Owen, and AEC are on the project team for District and Urban’s proposal.

To view the plans search for application reference number 24F/2011 on Liverpool City Council’s planning portal.