The building was previously occupied by HMRC. Credit: via Google Earth

Ex-HMRC offices to become 143 Liverpool apartments

M7 Real Estate has secured prior approval from Liverpool City Council to convert the 10-story Graeme House from offices into housing.

Located on Derby Square, Graeme House has 87,000 sq ft of office space which will now be lined up for apartments. M7 said that its plans, designed by KB Architects, will not involve any external alteration. The conversion will instead be delivered wholly through internal changes.

M7 purchased Graeme House for £8m from Downing in 2018. The office building had been one of the Liverpool homes of HMRC, which moved into the India Buildings this year.

M7’s plans for the space include splitting the offices into 137 one-bedroom and six two-bedroom apartments. It also will keep the car park in the building’s basement, adding 159 long-stay cycle spaces. M7 will retain 41 car parking spaces, including four accessible spaces, for future residents.

The apartment plans do not include the entirety of the building. Not all of the spaces fall within office use and therefore are not eligible to be part of the general permitted development order. M7 said that it anticipates submitting a full planning application for the change of use of those sites at a later date.

The project team on Graeme House included planner Savills, daylight and sunlight assessor TFT, transport consultant Hydrock, and Nova Acoustics.

Looking to learn more? The application’s reference number with Liverpool City Council is 21PO/1761.

Your Comments

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I am very much in favour of inner city apartment living, and it`s good to see more investment come in, what is equally needed is more modern , quality office space , in a fashionable area and dedicated business hubs. Therefore bring on Pall Mall and get some quality multi-storey office space over at the Baltic Triangle too.

By Anonymous

We need a department store in Liverpool – John Lewis is sat on its Laurels and not cutting the mustard! We cannot have a Selfridges due to covenants – what about a Liberty or something?

By Bob Dawson

An ugly building that never seems to get much sunlight.

LL

By Liver lad

This will hopefully breath new life into the area. It’s a shame to see such a great location not being used efficiently – and has therefore become a hotbed of illicit activity.

It will be nice to see the ground floor units occupied – there’s a potentially great area with mature trees that can become a real nice public space with minimal interventions in Derby Square. There’s a public right of way through Graeme House which connects to The Strand. It could be lovely with a little imagination (and the right investor).

By Anonymous

Handy for those people using the law courts…1.E.lawyers…judges…court staff….could become another Lincolns Inn

By Tercol

Oh no this is very sad news! We need more office’s not fancy Dan apartments that are not for local people!

By Mary Woolley

If you’ve ever seen the building, or understand it’s location, you will know this is a dreadful decision to convert its use. Modernise the exterior and develop upwards, the interior is fine and has many prospective tenants…

By Dan J

Developers can still clearly do whatever they want in/to Liverpool.

No one in their right mind would live in a building right next to ne’er do well alley. Not to mention all the actual criminals going to the courts.

That no external changes will be made just sums up that this will be cheap and nasty.

Naturally it’s been waved through by the city’s labour councillors.

I hope the developers aren’t planning to try and sell units to fund the conversion.

By Jeff

Something tells me Mary they wont be fancy Dan apartments, but we can only hope.

By oscar

Close enough to the waterfront and many of Liverpool’s finest architecture giving a superlative living experience. I could see myself buying one.

By Liverpool romance

Although it’s good to see inner-city accommodation that is aimed for professional and not students, those professionals need inner-city employment, ergo we need office space in Liverpool first and foremost.

By Tom

Liverpool should actually have some nice apartments for once. Not pokey one bedroom flats.

The whole flat market in this country seems aimed at transient living, people passing through rather than being there to stay

By Anonymous

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