McLaren’s 242-bed Liverpool student resi tipped for approval
Liverpool City Council’s planning committee will also be asked to reconsider its refusal of Carpenter Investments’ 261 flats at One Kings Dock Street.
The committee will meet next Tuesday to weigh in on both the Carpenter and McLaren Property applications. Both are recommended for approval from the city council’s planning officers.
You can learn more about each project below.
109-111 Mulberry Street
- Application reference number: 23F/1190
McLaren Property is seeking permission to demolish the old Ritz Roller Rink and replace it with an eight-storey block of student flats.
Situated at 109-111 Mulberry Street, the scheme has been designed by Cartwright Pickard. It would provide 77 studios and 32 cluster units. Those clusters would provide 165 bed spaces. Of the 242 bedrooms, five per cent would be accessible.
No parking is lined up for the development, instead the scheme would offer residents 81 cycle spaces.
The building is also being lined up to achieve BREEAM Excellent status, according to the committee report.
You can expect there to be vocal opposition to the project when it comes to committee, with two councillors having already raised objections. Both Cllr Nathalie Nicholas and Cllr Tom Logan have formally stated that they believe there are too many student accommodation schemes in that area of Liverpool. Nicholas also registered concerns over the building’s height.
This is not the first time plans have gone in to turn the former roller rink – now a furniture and yogurt shop – into student accommodation. Plans were submitted in 2015 by Lady Maddison and then in 2018 by Property Capital. Property Capital withdrew its application, while Lady Maddison’s application as disposed of by the city council after a lack of response from the developer.
CBRE is the planning consultant for the McLaren scheme. The project team includes Hydrock, MB Heritage, Fore, Bowland Tree Consultancy, Colemans, Atelier Ten, GIA, and Met Geo-Environmental. Ares Design is the landscape architect.
Carpenter Investments’ application is meant to make up the first phase of a wider masterplan for the former Wapping Station site. Credit: via planning documents
Land bordered by Kings Dock Street, Sparling Street, & Wapping
- Application reference number: 22F/2748
Last time Carpenter Investments’ application to build a stepped 13-storey building off King’s Dock Street came before Liverpool City Council, it was unanimously refused.
Carpenter will no doubt be hoping for a different result this time.
Liverpool City Council’s planning officers have maintained their recommendation that the council approve the application for a mixture of one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments in a building that would rise from five to 13 storeys in height. The application also includes provision for two ground-floor commercial units and a first-floor office.
In terms of parking, 69 spaces for cars are proposed, including 10 EV charging bays and 14 accessible spaces. There would also be 292 cycle parking spaces.
The project does not include an affordable housing because of viability concerns. This was one of the main points of contention for councillors when they debated the application in December
Should councillors persist in their wish to reject the scheme, the council’s planning officers have suggested three reasons for refusal: the proposed building would be too dominant within the street scene because of its height, it fails to have affordable housing, and there is not enough open space provided.
The Planning Studio is the planning consultant for the project, which has been designed by L7 Architects. The project team includes Mulberry TMC, Kingdom Ecology, ADS, CC Geotechnical, TERM Engineering, Ensafe, SCP Transport Consulting, GIA, and CP Viability.
How depressing but utterly predictable by this backwards planning committee. How can they possibly have objections to the Mulberry Street scheme? Student accommodation in a student area which isn’t high at all. I despair at this city.
By Anonymous
“Both Cllr Nathalie Nicholas and Cllr Tom Logan have formally stated that they believe there are too many student accommodation schemes in that area”
You have to be kiddying me – you are literally next to a massive city Center collage campus and liverpool uni is across the road!!!
By Stuart wood
Manchester builds up and Liverpool builds down and that’s why Manchester is seen as the “Capital of the North” and Liverpool continues to decline.
By Simon Clarke
The constant is cities is change. This area changed dramatically in the 1960s but for all the wrong reasons. Cllrs and residents need to be recognise this area is changing again, but for the better: design quality, investment, jobs: all of which were totally absent in the 1980s.
By LEighteen
You will get the same councillors complaining that the city doesn’t get taken seriously by Westminister and that Manchester gets preferential treatment.
By L4
“Nicholas also registered concerns over the building’s height.”
Dear god…. if we can’t even get an eight storey building on a prime site for student accommodation then what hope do we have.
By Anonymous
Meanwhile, immigration and homelessness in Liverpool is at an all-time high. As the Guardian put it a few years ago, in the aftermath of Anderson Mk 1’s tenure, Liverpool is (still) in thrall to property developers. Their solution: yet more student accommodation and unaffordable, yet tiny, high rise flats.
There used to actually be a thriving community of Liverpool people on and around Park Lane. The avarice of property developers put a stop to that.
By Anonymous
@9.16am Anon, this site is nowhere near Park Lane but as you mention it that location had lots of stylish tenements, till the council demolished them, with people from different nationalities including Chinese who made up the bulk of the population. Liverpool’s greatest days were when immigrants arrived from all quarters and there was a spirit of trade and business acumen.
By Anonymous
Manchester approved a 76 storey skyscraper a few weeks ago. It just feels the city is going nowhere fast.
By Paul27
What are the commissioners actually doing because it doesn’t seem the city has changed its anti investment stance. I look at Manchester and as a Scouser get envious by the amount of Investment and regeneration they get.
By Jeremy Phillips
we got the new Beatles singe release that will carry us for another 600 years
By Anonymous
With regards to the Mulberry development. Residents already experience antisocial
behaviour from Students, namely issues over parking space and fly tipping of unwanted domestic furniture at the end of each academic year. The saturation of student accomodation within this area, will have negative impact on community cohesion.
By Linda Priddie
Both of the new develoments are excellent compliments to the other projects providing accommodation in the inner city.
However, a major upgrade of Police presence is necessary.
By Anonymous
The chimney sweeps, wheel tappers and bottle washers are now joined by the downstairs skivvy and stables sweeper.
Liverpool development investment companies need a clear indication of Liverpool City Council support.
In area of Mulberry Street there are several recent new architectural buildings in past 35 years erected. Most of them are connected to the three universities.
A eight storey housing accommodation building plus other inner city sites would obviously free the Wavertree area for new homes for families and the development of new shops etc in Smithdown Road and Piction Road.
Well done to the developers of the sites throughout our Liverpool Home.
By Anonymous
@Linda Priddie, so where would you like the students to be? They may cause some anti-social issues but a lot more is caused by local gangs and scallies and of a more serious type. Give the students a break the overwhelming bulk of them are fine people studying away from home, of course we scousers love to tell the world how friendly and welcoming we are but many in this city seem to despise them, even though they spend money in our shops and add to the vibrancy of the place.
By Anonymous
Liverpool city Council and Councilers contributing to the housing shortage by continuing to block and reduce heights producing fewer properties. Perhaps if they built more new developments I town it would free up accommodation in areas like Smithdown for families. Its absolutely myopic! When will we rid ourselves of these imbeciles!
By Anonymous
This is a good looking scheme and entirely appropriate for the area. The councillors’ opposition is another big test for Cllr Robinson. If this goes south his credibility will take another battering – a shame, because he’s actually very good.
By Anonymous
Students are a vital part of the Liverpool economy. They work and spend money in our shops and bars, and our Taxi drivers tell me they don’t have enough work when the students go home. Time to get off the students backs.
By Graham John Brandwood
Actually LOL’d at Anon 12:28
By Anonymous
Check out that Carpenter Site. Looks like a well done scheme
By Balcony Warrior