New year start for Liverpool police station demolition
Morgan Sindall Construction has appointed Rhodar Specialist Enabling Works to pull down Smithdown Police Station, paving the way for the site’s redevelopment as part of the £1bn Knowledge Quarter.
An application uploaded to Liverpool City Council’s planning portal states that the Paddington South project will involve the demolition of a seven-storey tower block, a five-storey car park, and a two-storey maintenance garage.
Once cleared, part of the 20-acre Paddington South site will be transformed into a green space with the rest being made ready for redevelopment to “supercharge the city’s research, development and innovation sector, whilst creating a vibrant new neighbourhood for the area”, according to the city council.
The city council acquired the site off Smithdown Lane, Grove Street and Oxford Street earlier this year thanks to a £13m government grant.
Rhodar will start the project in January and wrap up in June.
Elsewhere in the North West, Rhodar is also preparing the site of the £13m Salford Rise infrastructure project.
Well we might get the greenspace but as regards supercharging the city`s research and innovation sector don`t hold your breath. Meanwhile I hope the vibrant new neighbourhood has better designed and more appropriate housing than those low rise existing housing in the photo.
Of course this site has great potential but we need to see it realised to its maximum.
By Anonymous
Why do LCC feel the need to use big words like supercharge? Is it supposed to impress? I would much prefer they get the basics right, like senior officers responding to emails from the business community being a good starting point.
By CMW
Super charged ? The last building finished in Paddington Village was a car park and that was two years ago. We are told Hemisphere 1 and 2 are largely pre-let then the start date was put back by a year and still no date given for spades in the ground .
By Anon
The city has enough green spaces. The areas around Scotland road are a virtual wasteland. I don’t know of any major city in the UK that has two -storey , semi detached houses and bungalows in the city centre. Having said that Liverpool can no longer be considered to be a major city. In the north it’s Leeds and Manchester and then the rest, Liverpool, Preston, Warrington etc. The city needs high density, high rise housing. The people in power need to visit the regional capital 30 miles east on the M62 and take notes. The city is devoid of people and looks like a provisional backwater. Given it’s history it should be in the same league as cities like Hamburg or Barcelona instead it makes Manchester appear to be a forward thinking, major metropolis.
By K . J.
Once again the wheel tappers, chimney sweeps and bottle washers are rampant. It appears they have been joined by a new confederate a team of candle-stick makers.
Using”big words” to trumpet their egotistical nonsense.
Once again no mention of the engineering and building academic team at the three universities. Does this proposed designated site have plans so for more cycle lanes and car parking. Perhaps they should seek assistance from the nascent Trump appointment Doctor Oz.
Rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb.
Bah Humbug
By Anonymous
If anything, the posts on this thread point to the Council’s need to manage the mood music better in the city. Not, as this release implies, by delving into the great cannon of superlatives offered by the English language, but by acting nimbly, with pace and with purpose. You know; answering emails promptly; returning phone calls; making timely decisions that facilitate investment. That sort of stuff.
For all the fine words and senior appointments, much remains stuck in the mud, figuratively speaking.
By Anonymous
Oh god no.
What will LCC come up with. On the other hand we got an update on Salford developments.
By Eric
Great news. Some miserable comments on this thread. I lived in Liverpool for decades and the transformation since the City of Culture has transformed the place . Scotland Road needs tidying up , but you can’t do everything at once. I didn’t recognise Great Homer street . Thoroughly transformed
By David Bush
@ David Bush City of culture was 25 years ago
By Anonymous
Re. David Bush – Great Homer Street hardly counts as successful regeneration by the standards of any other major city. Much was promised, but ultimately all that could eventually be delivered, aside from some decent enough low-rise replacement housing, was big box retail and a couple of drive-thrus surrounded by acres of tarmac, and the problematic student blocks nearer town.
Anywhere else, a location like this, 5 minutes from the city centre, would be used for something impressive. Hopefully when LCC gets round to the rest of the rest of the area, something other than low-rise sprawl will be the result.
By Paddy Market
@ Paddy Market , ” problematic student blocks ” , not entirely clear what the problem is but if we didn`t have the student blocks there would be even more dereliction and wasteland to look at. Our students are an asset to the city, ok a small number maybe anti social but its the same in all big cities. We want our students to stay here and make careers not drift off to somewhere else with their talent, don`t forget too that Liverpool born students study elsewhere and will need somewhere to live, we have more pressing problems in this city than students,
By Anonymous