Work starts on £40m Liverpool resi project
Eric Wright Construction has broken ground to build 185 apartments and 10 townhouses off Lightbody Street at Stanley Dock.
Torus is the developer behind the project, which will transform the former industrial site into a neighbourhood.
All of the homes in the scheme will be designated rent-to-buy. They will be a mixture of one-, two-, and three-bedroom units.
Designed by Tim Groom, the project also includes 7,700 sq ft of commercial space.
Planning permission was granted in November last year.
Representatives from Torus, Eric Wright Construction and Liverpool City Region Combined Authority at the groundbreaking ceremony for Lightbody Street. Credit: via Torus
Steve Coffey, chief executive of Torus, said: “As a leading investor in new homes in North Liverpool, Torus is incredibly proud of what this development signifies not only for the people of the city, but for the area itself.
“Lightbody Street is the first residential development of its kind in this part of the city and will provide genuinely affordable housing options in a central location, so I am proud that Torus is leading the way in regenerating a part of the city that has been overlooked.”
James Eager, director of Eric Wright Construction, said the company was “proud” to work on the affordable housing scheme.
Eager said: “This development will sensitively repurpose the disused land, to meet the needs of future residents and visitors to the city.”
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority contributed nearly £3m to the scheme from its Brownfield Land Fund.
Regarding the Lightbody Street scheme, Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram said: “This is an area that has been crying out for investment for decades and it’s so encouraging to see investors staking a claim in its revival, helping local residents to lay down roots in an area that promises to have a really exciting future ahead of it.”
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High quality investment in a great location , good to see the north end of the city starting to grow so rapidly
By George
A great opportunity here to further increase the residential offering in this inner city zone, and there is ample land for more, hopefully this will attract locals and incomers to the city. A respected architect has come up with a good design, and the exploitation of the canal should mean further development will follow.
Would , though , like Torus to announce what has happened to their stalled scheme in the Baltic , as it`s been idle for many months.
By Anonymous
Are these classed as affordable housing?
By Mike Green
Hi @Mike – they are set to be affordable housing, yes. – Julia
By Julia Hatmaker
Affordable housing is what Liverpool needs more than fancy offices or shiny towers. We are a proud working class city with down to earth people. Great to see the council recognises this.
By Mary
How will it be regulated that people who need affordable houses get them – not foreign investors or investors full stop. There was an incident some years ago where a mill in Yorkshire was converted into beautiful residences – they were on the waterfront – no one who should have gotten them got them!
By Bob Dawson
@Mary no that’s incorrect and stop pretending to be from Liverpool ?
By Anonymous
Actually Mary that is incorrect, those big fancy offices bring something with them what Liverpool and every other city needs. JOBS.
By Joel
How can you make sure that they do go to people who NEED them ?? SET to be affordable
By John hall
Like the design and location, good to see a high quality scheme for a change well done Torus
By Tony
I agree with Mary, what Liverpool needs more than anything is good affordable housing . Well done Liverpool council!
By Realist
Yes it would be nice to get some jobs here too but that’s a whole different story and one thats sadly all too familiar. Let’s be glad to get these affordable houses built. It’s the right thing for the city.
By Anonymous
It’s a fantastic scheme but it’s also a shame that Liverpool no longer has a Main Contractor capable of delivering such a scheme. I’m certainly not knocking Eric Wright they have an excellent reputation, too many decent Contractors have fallen by the wayside over the last few years, these guys had local knowledge of the local supply chain and despite criteria applied to procurement on these schemes the vast majority of the economic benefits do not end up in our city…
By Anonymous
Brilliant news lots of new build starting to happen in the area around here ,we live in front of the stanley locks ,and can see positve moves with the new EFC Stadium ,on going at pace also we have noticed old negleted buildings cleared and land being prepered for new build on wards and upward , and thats no rumor .
Nil satis nisi optimum.
Nunca caminaras solo.
Together we are stronger.
By Anonymous
I am rather puzzled in my childhood there were tenaments in Saltney Street. The residents were third generation Irish immigrant families. (Previously a family named Lennon lived in the local community.
So Mayor Rotherham is been misinformed when he believes a ” new root commounity will be created (?). Many descendants live in The Eldonian Village literally minutes walk away from where their forebears lived in the 1960’s.
Fantastic news all the same well done Torus.
By Scouser ex Liverpool Docker born local
Glad to see a responsible contractor making an impact in the area. Let’s hope there will be some social housing included in the scheme, to attract locals.
By Stuart Clay
I wish it was offices. It’ll have to do.
By Wirralwanderer
As a social landlord housing shouldn’t always be building houses for rent insert prime locations after all large amounts of government money into these projects I think social landlord housing has forgotten what do they for the opportunity to live in such a locations should be given to those you can only rent and not a privileged you can buy
By Anonymous
This will be a rent to buy scheme, so in the long term all these will probably be purchased and become an asset to the owners to pass on to their families or rent out.
By Anonymous
Liverpool is a wonderful looking city !
Its not all grim up North .
By Anonymous
Just on the point regarding a local contractor, I’d note that Eric Wright only work in the NW and I believe the Project Manager, Site Manager and H&S manager are all Liverpudlians. Also Eric Wright are completely owned by a charitable Trust receive all of their profits after business reinvestment and then use this for charitable good causes, running a subsidised water park in the Lakes, vocational training foundation and providing funds to charities in the areas that they work in. 👍👍
By James