Options for Wellington Rooms on show tomorrow

Merseyside Building Preservation Trust is hoping to secure a development partner to bring forward the restoration of Liverpool’s Wellington Rooms by the summer, and is looking to make a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund to fund the works.

MBPT, with Liverpool City Council, Historic England and URBACT, is hosting a consultation tomorrow, Wednesday 21 March, to show its plans to resurrect the grade two-listed landmark, based on results of an options appraisal of the 202-year-old building.

Specialist Quadriga started work last month on urgent repairs to the property, which has been closed since 1997 and is suffering from a leaking roof and dry rot.

The neo-classical venue on Mount Pleasant was originally used for high society dance balls and latterly as the city’s Irish Centre, lies within the buffer zone of Liverpool’s World Heritage site and is recognised by the city council and Historic England as Liverpool’s top heritage priority.

In 2016, OMI Architects was appointed to advise on the refurbishment of the building, alongside Alan Gardner Associates, Poole Dick Associates, Hoare Lea, Keppie Massie, and DP Squared.

Bill Maynard, chair of the Wellington Rooms Steering Group and MBPT, said: “With the works now underway to stop the Wellington Rooms deteriorating we now want to hear from people as to its future uses. There are a number of options on the table and we want to make sure that we realise the full potential of this remarkable building and secure its use for future generations.”

The Wellington Rooms Steering Group includes Merseyside Building Preservation Trust, Liverpool Science Park, Liverpool City Council, Historic England and University of Liverpool, with a remit to identify sustainable and viable end uses for the Rooms and to secure a development partner or end user to carry out a full restoration of the building.

The consultation will take place on Wednesday 21 March at the Piazza Café & Bar, by the steps of the Metropolitan Cathedral between 10am and 6pm.

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I presume they’ve been turned down by Capital&Centric and Urban Splash, strikes me as their sort of bag

By Bob Edwards

Saw Mike Derryshaw (Starbucks dude) sniffing around it the other day…

By Karen Attergood

That would be awful. what a waste if it were to become a Starbucks! Please no!

By Mary Smiley

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