Elliot extends Ropewalks footprint

Elliot Group has acquired land currently used as a surface car park in Seel Street, within Liverpool’s Ropewalks area, from Hope Street Properties to develop a £20m hotel.

The developer is already on site with preparatory works at the neighbouring Wolstenholme Square, which it is redeveloping from nightclubs into a 440-unit apartment scheme.

Elliot Group said talks were advancing with “a well-known hotel operator” to create a 116-room hotel on the site, designed by Falconer Chester Hall. The site is one third of an acre in size.

The emerging design makes extensive use of brick to fit in with the neighbouring Georgian and Victorian buildings, but the designs are still subject to final review, explained Elliot Group’s Elliot Lawless: “We’re participating in a design workshop with Liverpool City Council this week to test our assumptions and see if we can collectively identify improvements. It’s a really interesting design, particularly internally, as it will give the operator the flexibility to offer both single rooms or serviced suites.

“The hotel will offer the city’s first rooftop pool and spa and our proposed operator is perfect for this neighbourhood, which is funky and intensely urban. We expect to conclude negotiations with them shortly.”

The hotel will back on to Wolstenholme Square’s block B and is 20 yards from the new passageway being punched through from the square to Seel Street, which is designed to boost permeability and create more active frontages. Once design discussions have been concluded with Liverpool council it is expected that a planning application will be submitted in early March.

Elliot Group is primarily a residential developer and has more than £325m of projects in planning and underway in Liverpool, including sites at Heap’s Mill, Queensland Place and Upper Parliament Street. The company recently announced its plans for a £50m development in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle district and is currently exploring development opportunities in Manchester and Leeds.