Grant Thorton’s Rob Parker, Jon Roden, and Kevin Coates were appointed as joint administrators for Buckingham Group Contracting on Monday.

“After 36 years of uninterrupted trading, this is an extremely sad day for all the exceptionally committed and talented people who have made Buckingham Group Contracting the business it is,” said Mike Kempley, chairman at Buckingham.

Buckingham had filed a notice to appoint administrators earlier this month. At the time, it had blamed “rapidly escalating contract losses and a sharp reduction in liquidity” as the reason for its financial troubles. It was an assessment that administrators echoed in a statement on Tuesday.

Buckingham had been attempting to refinance and sell part of the company.

Ultimately, only Buckingham’s rail division was sold – with Kier Group picking up Buckingham’s HS2 contract. The sale to Kier preserved 180 jobs, according to Grant Thornton.

Under the agreement, Buckingham’s rail assets will become part of the Kier Transportation company. Kier Transportation designs, builds, and maintains a variety of transit infrastructure, including rail, highways, and aviation.

Joe Incutti, group managing director of Kier Transportation, welcomed the Buckingham employees to the Kier fold.

“The team will further strengthen our capability and this helps to bring an end to a period of uncertainty for clients and employees by ensuring continued delivery on existing projects, and the retention of hugely important skills and expertise in the rail sector,” Incutti said.

Andrew Davies, chief executive of Kier Group, said: “We have previously stated that we would consider value accretive acquisitions in core markets where there is potential to accelerate the medium-term value creation plan.

“This acquisition is one such example – it is an excellent strategic fit and accelerates our rail strategy, providing work with new rail clients and increasing our capabilities.”

While the Kier sale preserved some of the company’s jobs, it was not enough to save the rest of the business.

“It is, however, with regret, that despite the best efforts of the directors and the company’s advisers, a sale of the company’s remaining divisions (building, civil engineering, demolition, major projects and sport & leisure) was not possible,” said Grant Thornton’s Parker.

“As a result, 446 employees from these divisions together with some other central roles at the company have been made redundant following the company entering administration,” he continued.

“The Grant Thornton team will work with the employees affected to support them through this process.”

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Regeneration housebuilder Lovell Partnerships, part of Morgan Sindall Group, has begun work at Stonedale Crescent in Croxteth to build the mixed-tenure affordable housing development for Liverpool City Council.

Designed by DK-Architects, the project will provide 80 two- to three-bedroom houses and eight one-bedroom flats built on redundant parking land, marked as one of the city’s mayoral priority development zones to improve social and economic conditions.

The scheme will offer 100% affordable housing provision, with all homes available for affordable rent, rent-to-buy, or shared ownership.

Tahreen Shad, regional partnerships director at Lovell, said: “As we begin our work on the Croxteth site, we will also be getting further embedded in the local community through our social value programme by engaging with nearby schools and groups, as well as employing and training young people through our apprenticeship scheme to deliver lasting outcomes.”

A total of £12m grant funding has been secured for the project through the Homes England Affordable Homes Programme and Liverpool City Region Combined Authority’s Brownfield Land Fund.

Local housing provider Cobalt will manage the homes, adding to its 6,000-strong portfolio across North Liverpool.

This project forms part of a wider regeneration for the Stonedale and Stonebridge area. Cobalt has already delivered 57 new homes at Altbridge Park and is working with masterplanner Gillespies on a large-scale programme of estate regeneration works at the estate.

Claire Griffiths, chief executive of Cobalt Housing, said: “[This project] signals the continuation of our £300m investment in our neighbourhoods over the next 10 years, in existing and new homes for rent and sale, which we have set out in our new corporate plan.

“This development will be a catalyst for increased confidence and aspiration in the Stonebridge area of Liverpool, as we continue to expand our partnerships and investment, working closely with our customers and the wider community.”

Want to find out more about the project? Search for application number 21F/0330 on Liverpool City Council’s planning portal.

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Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has published a report outlining how it plans to spend the £80m government gave it to set up its investment zone, with Paddington Village within the city’s Knowledge Quarter acting as the fulcrum. 

Focusing on life sciences and the pharmaceutical industry, the investment zone will encompass Liverpool, Runcorn, St Helens, Maghull, and Prescot, and could leverage £320m of private sector investment over the next five years and “make Liverpool a pharmaceutical production superpower”, according to Whitehall.  

A new building for Paddington Village 

Compound Labs, a 126,000 sq ft development at Paddington Village is one of the major projects proposed to kick off the investment zone. 

The scheme, which will benefit from more than £20m, would provide a 43,000 sq ft home for the University of Liverpool’s Centre of Excellence for Long-Lasting Therapeutics. 

The remaining space would be used as commercial lab and office space for chemistry, pharmaceuticals, robotics, and life-sciences firms, according to the report. 

Compound Labs would be built at Paddington Village next to the Spine and the proposed Hemisphere office and lab building. 

Hemisphere up and running 

Liverpool city region’s investment zone status has provided a boost to Hemisphere in the shape of one of the largest lettings in Liverpool in recent years. 

The 116,000 sq ft building will be home to The Pandemic Preparedness and Response Facility, which is due to sign for 50,000 sq ft of lab space within Hemisphere, according to the report. 

The organisation will conduct clinical and academic research and develop new diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics against infectious disease threats. 

Also within the Knowledge Quarter, the city region wants to spend just shy of £5m on the LYVA Labs Incubator and Accelerator. This will provide space and support for startups in the life sciences sector. 

Outside the city centre 

Outside of the city centre, the combined authority is planning to spend £9.5m on the next phase of labs at SciTech Daresbury in Halton. Two buildings totalling 83,000 sq ft are planned. 

In Maghull, Mersey Care is hoping to be given more than £20m from the investment zone pot to redevelop its 100-acre Ashworth Hospital and former HMP Kennet site as an international centre of excellence for mental health. 

IICON, a consortium led by Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine is due to secure £10m to develop “commercially facing robotics, AI, and machine learning capabilities to develop new infection therapeutics”, the report states. 

Almost £12m could support the creation of CHI-zone, an “innovation campus and LCR-wide network of NHS and community sites ready to research, develop, evaluate, and optimise HealthTech”, according to the report. This is aimed at improving care for patients. 

£15m is earmarked to go towards the redevelopment of Pilkington’s former Watson Street Works in St Helens into a manufacturing and innovation campus. The scheme could generate £200m of private sector investment and create 1,350 job opportunities. 

Earlsfield Park, a 30-acre employment site in Knowsley, could get £4m of investment zone funding. 

To learn more about how the life sciences sector is growing in the North West, book to attend Place North West’s Labs of the Future conference in November.

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This well-established consultancy is seeking to recruit a graduate building surveyor (with some industry experience), who is keen to move into a multi-faceted building consultancy role. Our client is offering the opportunity of APC support to become chartered within 2 years of service.

This is a unique opportunity to join a consultancy who can provide you with extensive experience within all areas of a traditional BS role including; contract administration, project planning, dilapidations and party wall advice.

Our client is looking for a highly motivated and tenacious graduate building surveyor, who is willing to go the extra mile to learn the trade and with ambitions to progress once RICS qualified. We are looking for a real estate graduate with around 12 months industry experience within a BS environment.

Package will include a basic salary of circa £30,0000, plus a company car, bonuses and the opportunity to progress when you become a chartered BS. The role will involve travelling to various clients across the UK, so you must have a driving licence and be happy to do some overnight stays. (all expenses included).

Please get in touch today if you are a recent graduate building surveyor seeking a rewarding role like this in Liverpool.

To apply for this position, email your CV to rachael@cliftongray.co.uk.

Clifton Gray is a specialist property recruitment company. We specialise in placing property professionals within architecture, residential property, and commercial property, from entry level through to senior appointments.

If you are currently working within the property sector, and you would like to hear more about how Clifton Gray can guide you through your next career move, please get in touch.

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The promotions and appointments are part of Planit-IE’s expansion plans and follow the promotions of Georgina Baines and Kevin Redhead to director roles in 2022. 

At the Liverpool studio, landscape architect Marsh has been promoted to the role of studio director. He joined the firm almost five years ago from IBI Group and has worked on several high-profile schemes during that time.

These include Central Park at Liverpool Waters, Everton Football Club’s new stadium, and the regeneration of St Helens and Birkenhead town centres. 

In Altrincham, Moore has also been promoted. He has become studio director after almost 20 years with the firm. In his new role, he will continue to add to a growing list of projects that includes work in Oldham Town Centre, First Street in Manchester, and a 1m sq ft of mixed-use scheme at West Bar in Sheffield. 

Managing director Pete Swift said: “Danny and Rob’s work is crucial to delivering Planit’s mission to become a net positive business and deliver a more regenerative future. Their technical knowledge is unrivalled and they have become adept at managing multiple high-profile projects. 

“I’m excited to see how they grow in their new roles and how they continue to deliver public spaces that work not just today, but tomorrow and beyond.” 

Meanwhile, Mark Fletcher has been hired to lead the firm’s Standish site. In Gloucestershire, he will be responsible for growing Planit in the South West and London, alongside co-founder Ed Lister and director, James King. 

Fletcher has joined the firm after seven years working at Pacific Architecture in Wellington, New Zealand. 

Lister said: “We opened our rural Cotswolds studio in 2021. Located in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty it was the perfect fit to establish and grow Planit’s Net Positive practices and regenerative vision.  

“Mark’s arrival and experience will be instrumental in delivering this vision, supporting clients on their journeys to move beyond sustainable practices and help grow our studios across the South.” 

Elsewhere across the business, Victoria Ellenbogen has been promoted to senior landscape architect, Yuan-yin Hsieh and Jonny Helm have been promoted to the role of project landscape architect, Evelyn Ho as landscape architect, Molly Deakin to senior graphic designer, and Sam Richmond has been promoted to 3D artist. 

In total, Planit-IE employs 92 people.

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Sourced Development Group and Network Rail have submitted a planning application for the redevelopment of the four sites – three adjoining plots on Love Lane and one further south on Pall Mall – to Liverpool City Council. 

Designed by BDP, the quartet of residential blocks will reach between nine and 11 storeys and comprise apartments for market sale. The scheme would feature 147 one-bedroom apartments, 330 with two bedrooms, and 30 with three beds. 

The Sourced/Network Rail JV is waiting to hear back from the Sovini Group and Regenda Homes, which have been approached over delivering the scheme’s affordable element. 

Redundant railway arches and subterranean tunnels located on two of the plots would be repurposed into more than 10,000 sq ft of commercial space under the proposals. A 200-metre linear park also forms part of the joint venture’s vision for the site. 

BDP is leading on design. Credit: via planning documents

A planning statement prepared by WSP states that discussions with Liverpool City Council’s planning team have been positive and that the authority is “supportive of the development proposals”. 

“The LPA also confirm their support to the massing, scale and general approach to design,” the statement said. 

According to a viability appraisal prepared by Tim Claxton Property, the scheme has a net development value of £110m and will cost 101m to build. 

To learn more about the scheme, search for application reference 23F/2052 on Liverpool City Council’s planning portal.

The project team includes SK Transport, OFR, Wardell Armstrong, Simply CDM, Steven A Hunt and Associates, and Rachel Hacking Ecology. 

The scheme is located in a growing area of Liverpool, close to Peel L&P’s Liverpool Waters and Everton FC’s new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock. Earlier this year, developer Nextdom won approval for a 435-flat project near Sourced and Network Rail’s Love Lane scheme.

The development would see four vacant plots redeveloped into homes. Credit: via planning documents

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Buckingham Group Contracting is the main contractor for Liverpool Football Club’s Anfield Road Stand, which was to bring an extra 7,000 seats to the stadium. This would increase Anfield Stadium’s capacity to 61,000.

The contractor announced its decision to file a notice to appoint administrators last week and Liverpool has now issued an update on the development of the stand in light of uncertainties.

Hogan confirmed that the club still plans to work through a phased opening of the Anfield Road Stand, however it does not want to set any false expectations.

“Just to speak plainly, we are in a bit of a holding pattern right now based on the news that we got on Thursday and that needs to reach its conclusion before we can truly start to take the next steps”, he said.

“But if Buckingham does enter into administration then we’ll need to address any delays that may arise from completing the new stand as a result of that.

“Obviously, we will of course work with Buckingham and any other contractors who may be appointed in the future to retain as many of the existing jobs and expertise that have been a part of the project all along.”

Buckingham Group has stressed that it is not currently in administration. The filing of the notice was to “protect the business whilst we explore a sale of all or part of the business in a very short period (days/weeks)”, the company said.

The firm began work on the stand in 2021. At that time, the project was due to complete in time for the 2023-2024 season. That deadline has since been missed, although Saturday did see the return of the season with the lower section of the Anfield Road Stand cleared for operational use and open for the first time.

In terms of the future, Hogan recognised that is hard to set a schedule based on what is happening immediately however has hinted that the club is still working towards an October deadline to have the stand fully complete.

“As I said, [there is] an unbelievable amount of work going on in the background, literally since we were made aware of Buckingham’s intentions, to make sure that we have as little impact on that timeline as possible”, he said.

“So, again, I don’t want to set false expectations but we do have to have, obviously, a schedule that we need to work towards.

“It’s hard to set that schedule based on what is happening immediately, but we are working through it having digested the announcement on Thursday and working over the course of the last several days, and then any subsequent administration of Buckingham and what that means with regards to our contract with them and then the strategy and programme that we put forward.”

Buckingham Group is also the main contractor for the £80m Headbolt Lane Station in Kirkby and began work on the Merseyrail project last year. Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram has said that the probable administration will not impact the delivery of the station.

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The Colman Architects-designed scheme intends to deliver a “department store of experiences” within the former Lewis’s department store on the corner of Ranelagh Street and Renshaw Street, according to a design and access statement.

Proposals focus on the vacant areas within the property. The developer hopes to retain the original essence of the Lewis’s store while adapting to emerging changes in the work and leisure sectors.

Augur is seeking flexible consent for the 68,000 sq ft of empty space, with potential uses ranging from a brewery and restaurant to escape rooms and mini golf.

The unnamed tenant also wishes to convert the empty sixth-floor office space into a 6,300 sq ft restaurant.

The nine-storey building is currently occupied by the 126-bedroom Adagio Aparthotel and a 25,000 sq ft PureGym. The remaining swathes have remained unoccupied since Lewis’s closure in 2007.

The original Lewis’s store was first opened at the same city centre location in 1856 and expanded through the decades. The current building was constructed around 1947 after most of the original store was destroyed in The Blitz.

Augur acquired the 400,000 sq ft landmark in 2017.

Before the site changed hands, developers Merepark and Ballymore had advanced plans for a scheme called Central Village on the land between Lewis’s and Central Station with restaurant operators including Nando’s signed up.

However, the project suffered numerous delays due to the 2008 crash and never advanced.

Quod is the scheme’s planning consultant. The project team also includes Futureserv and Adapt Heritage.

Want to learn more about the plans? Search for application numbers 23F/1997 and 23L/2086 on Liverpool City Council’s planning portal.

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Laing O’Rourke, the main contractor on the 53,000-capacity Everton Stadium, has confirmed that work on the venue has restarted today.

Work was suspended on site to allow Merseyside Police and the Health and Safety Executive to carry out investigations following last week’s incident.

Jones, a lifelong blue, was working for a subcontractor when he was “seriously injured” on site before being taken to hospital where he died.

A statement from Everton FC said the club was “heartbroken by the news”.

“The thoughts and condolences of everyone connected with Everton are with his family, friends, and colleagues at this unimaginably sad time,” the statement added.

Figures published by HSE in July showed that construction is the UK’s most dangerous profession in terms of workplace fatalities.

Of the 135 workplace deaths in the UK in 2022/2023, 45 were on construction sites, according to HSE. That number is substantially higher than the year before when the HSE logged 30 fatal injuries in the construction sector.

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Sourced Development Group wants to provide a mix of one- to three-bedroom flats and townhouses on the former site of Coconut Grove nightclub.

Named Carlton Court, the part five-, part six-storey building would also feature 2,800 sq ft of ground-floor commercial space.

Plans would bring the vacant Tuebrook site back into use.

The home of the Carlton Cinema from 1932 until 1982, the plot was soon transformed into Coconut Grove nightclub. The venue closed in 1997 and was demolished in 2017, with the site remaining empty since.

Carlton Court is part of Sourced Development Group’s plans to deliver 3,000 homes across the North West over the next three years.

The company is currently on-site building its 310-apartment Scholar’s Court complex in Liverpool. Work is also progressing in Salford, where Sourced is delivering the 525-home at Regent Plaza.

You can access the consultation for Carlton Court at www.carltoncourtconsultation.com.

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Liverpool City Council approved the conversion of the grade one-listed old Bank of England into a restaurant at its planning committee meeting yesterday. This decision was made in line with officer recommendations.

Meanwhile, Kersh Worral will persist at appeal with councillors minding to refuse its proposals due to a lack of affordable housing and open space.

Former Bank of England

Application number: 22F/0422

Situated at 31 Castle Street, the grade one-listed building is set for a new lease of life under JSM Company Group’s proposals to transform it into a restaurant.

Wroot Design is the architect behind the scheme, which will see the creation of a dining area and a central bar set across two floors.

Downstairs, the basement will house the kitchens and other back-of-house facilities, while storage and office space will be provided upstairs.

As the Bank of England building is a grade one-listed property, only certain alterations will be permitted. The property was built in 1845 and remains “architecturally in good order”, according to a heritage impact assessment submitted by Townscape.

Built in 1945, the property has been vacant since TSB Bank left in the 1990s.

Councillors approved the scheme despite concerns raised by councillors Nick Small and Christine Banks regarding the potential negative impact of the project on neighbouring residents.

The approval follows the withdrawal of plans to create a retractable glass section on the existing disused car park to be used as a bar in the summer.

The site has been derelict for some time. Credit: Google Earth

Vauxhall Road

Application number: 21F/0722

Liverpool City Council rejected Kersh Worral’s bid to redevelop the former Elaine Norris Centre site to deliver 29 flats within a four-storey block, as well as 39 houses, despite a recommendation by planning officers to approve.

Designed by DAY Architectural, the scheme is subject to a non-determination appeal due to delays in the process.

This means that the committee cannot make a decision on the proposals. However, at yesterday’s planning committee and following a site visit, councillors resolved that the application would be refused if it were to come before the committee.

A lack of affordable housing, open space, and biodiversity net gain were cited as the reasons for the proposed refusal.

The developer lodged plans for the project in March 2021, with officers recommending that the scheme be approved in December 2022. This decision was deferred so that a site visit could take place, however this never materialised.

Kersh Worral later lodged an appeal and asked that the city council cover the costs due to the “unacceptable, unnecessary, and unreasonable” delay, according to the applicant’s statement of case for the appeal.

The city council have said that the delay was down to the elections that happened earlier this year.

Kersh Worral had stated that it would halt these proceedings if the city council conducted a site visit and approved the project.

Broadgrove Planning and Development is the planning consultant for the scheme. The project team also includes PGA landscape architects, 4C Engine, and ADS Structural.

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The Department for Education unveiled a wave of 15 new free schools on Tuesday. Of those 15, four will be in the North West.

“We want to make more good school places available to families, and these 15 new free schools will bring brand new opportunities to young people from Bradford to Bristol,” said education secretary Gillian Keegan.

She continued: “These new schools build on this government’s work to drive up school standards since 2010, with 88% of schools now rated good or outstanding – up from 68% – and high-performing academies and free schools in all parts of the country.”

In addition to Eton Star Oldham, the other three regional schools are Dixons Wythenshawe Sixth Form, Dixons Victory Academy secondary school in Manchester, and Eden Girls’ Leadership Academy secondary school in Liverpool.

The schools are expected to open in three to four years.

Eton Star Oldham

Eton Star Oldham will have 480 school spaces, with Eton providing extracurricular and financial support. It will be a new-build school and Eton College and Star Academies have said they will work with the council and the Department for Education to decide on a precise site.

“We believe Eton Star Oldham has the potential to be transformative both for the young people who attend and for the wider communities it will serve,” said Simon Henderson, headmaster at Eton.

“Now the hard work really starts as we turn our vision into reality.”

Star Academies’ chief executive, Sir Hamid Patel, described the government’s approval of Eton Star Oldham as “an exciting milestone”.

“We are confident that Eton Star Oldham will produce extraordinary, transformative outcomes, not only for its students but for the wider community too,” Patel said.

“With a growing demand for sixth form places Oldham and the north of Greater Manchester, we aim to enable more young people to benefit from a high-quality academic education and to broaden the opportunities available to them both during and after their sixth form studies.”

Cllr Arooj Shah, Leader of Oldham Council, also welcomed the news.

“This new sixth form will provide a fantastic opportunity for Oldham’s young people to access a truly world-class education; with access to some of Eton and Star’s best teachers, its clubs, and its speaker events, as well as the chance to take part in a summer residential at Eton itself,” Shah said.

“This will give children who would never have had these opportunities the chance to shine and not just to fulfil their potential, but to experience things they would never have thought possible,” she continued.

“Eton and Star both have an outstanding reputation in providing the very best education, which is just what Oldham’s young people deserve. That’s why I’m delighted that today we have taken a huge step forward in making this fantastic idea a reality.”

Eden Girls’ Leadership Academy

The all-girls secondary school in Liverpool will be operated by Star Academies. Offering 800 places, it will educate young women aged 11 to 18. With government approval secured, Star Academies will now work with Liverpool City Council to identify the best site for this new-build school.

Reflecting on the approval, Star Academies’ Patel said: “Wherever they live and whatever their background, children deserve a high-quality education.

“We are delighted that our application to open a new secondary school has been approved. Eden Girls’ Leadership Academy, Liverpool will help to unlock the potential of thousands of young people in Merseyside.”

Liverpool City Council’s cabinet member for employment, educational attainment, and skills, Cllr Lila Bennett, said: “The decision by the DfE that Star Academies has been successful in its application to open a new secondary school in Liverpool will support the city to provide sufficient school places in the coming years.”

Here is the full list of the 15 new schools announced today, as per a government press release:

• Eton Star, a 16-19 school in Dudley
• Eton Star, a 16-19 school in Teesside
• Eton Star, a 16-19 school in Oldham
• BRIT School North, a 16-19 school in Bradford
• Great Stall East Academy, an all-through school from ages 4 to 16 in Swindon
• Lotmead Primary School in Swindon
• Dixons Victoria Academy, a secondary school in Manchester
• Dixons Wythenshawe Sixth Form, a 16-19 school in Manchester
• Eden Girls’ Leadership Academy, a secondary school in Liverpool
• Bolsover Sixth Form, a 16-19 school in Derbyshire
• Cabot Sixth Form, a 16-19 school in Bristol
• New College Keighley, a 16-19 school in Bradford
• Thorpe Park College, a 16-19 school in Leeds
• UTC Southampton
• Doncaster UTC – Health Sciences and Green Technologies

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Legacie Towers, a subsidiary of Liverpool-based Legacie Group, has revealed its plans for the regeneration of the vacant plot in the emerging Northern Quarter area of Liverpool.

Designed by architect Falconer Chester Hall, the scheme will deliver a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments across four residential buildings and will be constructed by Legacie Contracts.

Named ‘The Gateway’, the project will feature two gyms, two residential lounges, and a cinema room, as well as a range of commercial amenities including a coffee shop and convenience store.

Residents will also have access to a garden spa, which will provide an infrared sauna, swimming pool, ice bath, and even an oxygen chamber.

Liverpool City Council approved Vinco Group’s plans to for a slightly larger scheme to deliver 664 apartments on the 1.6-acre plot in 2019. However, the company is currently being liquidated.

Legacie picked up the stalled site in April and has since discharged various conditions from the existing planning consent to kickstart the project.

Falconer Chester Hall designed the scheme. Credit: via This Generation

John Morley, chief executive of Legacie Developments, said: “This will be an impressive and vibrant scheme which extends the reach of the city centre and builds a community comparable to what we are delivering at Parliament Square.

“This site has lay vacant for far too long, and I am pleased that we have stepped forward with a scheme that will be a catalyst for further regeneration, provide an economic boost, and deliver something the city can be proud of.”

International sales agent, RWinvest, has partnered with Legacie to promote the scheme.

Michael Gledhill, director at RWinvest, said: “The Gateway will be a stunning addition to Liverpool’s buoyant housing offer.

“With world-class facilities on-site, it will form a key part of the emerging Northern Quarter and help attract further investment as we continue to see huge demand for luxury living in the city.”

The Gateway has a gross development value of £200m and will help create more than 250 local construction jobs and 25 apprenticeships.

To learn more about the plans, search for application number 17F/0874 on Liverpool City Council’s planning portal.

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Fresh signs spotted outside TJ Hughes’ Audley House store state that the retailer will soon move from the London Road spot to 12-15 Church Street, which was formerly occupied by H&M and sits within a 70,000 sq ft building.

Owned by Anil Juneja, TJ Hughes closed its doors at Audley House earlier this summer to ready for the move to Church Street, where the retailer will sit beside Next.

H&M relocated from the Church Street property in 2018, taking up a 28,000 sq ft space on Lord Street.

TJ Hughes’ move comes after the approval of plans in February to convert its existing premises to deliver 199 city centre homes.

The relocation follows closely behind Marks and Spencer’s, which transferred from Church Street and opened its doors to a new 70,000 sq ft shop off South John Street this week.

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The ACC Liverpool Group, operator of the M&S Bank Arena, Exhibition Centre Liverpool, and the convention centre, is set to receive £1.4m from the government’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, delivered by Salix Finance.

The money from the Department for Energy, Security, and Net Zero has been awarded to Liverpool City Council as owners of the campus.

As a result of the funding, the organisation will replace the hot water boilers in the arena and convention centre with air-sourced heat pumps in order to reduce carbon emissions and maintenance costs. These plans are in line with the group’s goal to achieve net zero status by 2030.

Eddie dos Santos, director of operations and venue management at The ACC Liverpool Group, said: “Environment, sustainability, and climate action are key focuses for our Social Value Impact Plan, which we launched in 2021.

“We have already made significant progress across the campus with a number of initiatives and are striving to implement as many changes as we can to make events that we host as sustainable as possible for organisers and visitors.”

CorEnergy will carry out the project.

Tom Griffin, managing director of CorEnergy, said: “Having worked closely with The ACC Liverpool Group over the previous 12 months, CorEnergy is very pleased to continue our relationship with the organisation to support its journey towards Net Zero.

The project is a fantastic example of how a multi-technology approach involving LED lighting and controls and air-sourced heat pumps  can be used to drive material carbon savings and reduce energy costs.”

Simon Pettett, assistant director of programmes at Salix Finance, added: “Salix is delighted to be able to support this project and work with the city council on its decarbonisation journey and meeting the challenges around meeting net zero.

“This work should have a significant impact, reducing the carbon emissions, and making these buildings more comfortable buildings in which to work.”

This is not the first step that ACC Liverpool has taken towards sustainability and decarbonisation. The organisation recently installed LED lights across the waterfront campus and aims to support the development of super low carbon events and reduce single-use plastics.

In February, ACC Liverpool also became the first large-scale conference venue in the UK to join Isla, an independent industry body created to support the events sector’s transition to a net-zero future.

Liverpool City Council Leader, Cllr Liam Robinson, said: “I’m delighted that The ACC Liverpool Group is taking decarbonisation extremely seriously and is making as many changes as possible to how it operates and functions.

“It’s a great example of how a business can reduce its carbon footprint whilst continuing to be successful.”

The ACC Liverpool Group owns the waterfront venues and is set to receive £1.4m from the government’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, delivered by Salix Finance.

As a result of the funding, the organisation will replace the hot water boilers in the arena and convention centre with air-sourced heat pumps in order to reduce carbon emissions and maintenance costs. These plans are in line with the council-owned group’s goal to achieve Net Zero status by 2030.

Eddie dos Santos, director of operations and venue management at The ACC Liverpool Group, said: “Environment, sustainability, and climate action are key focuses for our Social Value Impact Plan, which we launched in 2021.

“We have already made significant progress across the campus with a number of initiatives and are striving to implement as many changes as we can to make events that we host as sustainable as possible for organisers and visitors.”

CorEnergy will carry out the project.

Tom Griffin, managing director of CorEnergy, said: “Having worked closely with The ACC Liverpool Group over the previous 12 months, CorEnergy is very pleased to continue our relationship with the organisation to support its journey towards Net Zero.

The project is a fantastic example of how a multi-technology approach involving LED lighting and controls and air-sourced heat pumps  can be used to drive material carbon savings and reduce energy costs.”

Simon Pettett, assistant director of programmes at Salix Finance, added: “Salix is delighted to be able to support this project and work with the city council on its decarbonisation journey and meeting the challenges around meeting net zero.

“This work should have a significant impact, reducing the carbon emissions, and making these buildings more comfortable buildings in which to work.”

This is not the first step that ACC Liverpool has taken towards sustainability and decarbonisation. The organisation recently installed LED lights across the waterfront campus and aims to support the development of super low carbon events and reduce single-use plastics.

In February, ACC Liverpool also became the first large-scale conference venue in the UK to join Isla, an independent industry body created to support the events sector’s transition to a net-zero future.

Liverpool City Council Leader, Cllr Liam Robinson, said: “I’m delighted that The ACC Liverpool Group is taking decarbonisation extremely seriously and is making as many changes as possible to how it operates and functions.

“It’s a great example of how a business can reduce its carbon footprint whilst continuing to be successful.”

The post ACC Liverpool secures £1.4m green funding appeared first on Place North West.

The Stowe-headquartered builder acknowledged that filing a notice to appoint administrators would “come as a shock” to stakeholders.

“Very strong delivery and commercial performance across most of the business has been outweighed by deep losses and interim cash deficits incurred on the three major stadium and arena contracts, and a substantial earthworks contract in Coventry,” Buckingham Group said in a statement.

“This situation on these four long-term, major projects developed through a combination of unexpected impacts such as the extreme inflation linked to the Ukraine conflict and other challenges in the sports and leisure division,” the statement continued.

Buckingham Group is the main contractor for Liverpool Football Club’s Anfield Road Stand, which was to bring an extra 7,000 seats to the stadium. This would increase Anfield Stadium’s capacity to 61,000.

Work had begun on the stand in 2021. At that time, the project was due to complete in time for the 2023-2024 season. That deadline has since been missed, although the lower tier of the Anfield Road Stand has been cleared for operational use.

Liverpool FC said that Buckingham Group’s administration status would not impact the opening of the lower part of the stand on Saturday.

“Following the successful test events earlier this week, Liverpool City Council’s building control team issued a safety certificate to operate the lower tier of the Anfield Road Stand and we look forward to welcoming supporters to Anfield for our first Premier League home game of the season,” the club said in a statement.

“We will work with Buckingham Group on the planned phased opening of the remainder of the new stand and will continue to keep supporters updated on arrangements for future games.”

Buckingham Group is also the main contractor for the £80m Headbolt Lane Station in Kirkby and began work on the Merseyrail project last year. Neither Liverpool City Region Combined Authority nor Merseyrail responded to requests for comment.

Buckingham Group stressed that it is not currently in administration. The filing of the notice was to “protect the business whilst we explore a sale of all or part of the business in a very short period (days/weeks)”, the company said.

The post Contractor behind Liverpool’s Anfield Road Stand files administration notice appeared first on Place North West.

Kersh Worral Commercial’s application for the redevelopment of the Former Elaine Norris Centre on Vauxhall Road will go before Liverpool City Council’s planning committee again next week, more than eight months after it was deferred so a site visit could take place.

That site visit never happened and if the project is finally approved on Tuesday, the developer may consider withdrawing its appeal over the non-determination of the proposals. 

If Kersh Worral decides to go ahead with the appeal, the outcome of next week’s planning committee deliberations will be considered as part of the written representations process. 

The developer lodged plans for the project in March 2021. The scheme proposes the creation of 39 houses and 29 flats within a four-storey block. 

Liverpool City Council planning officers recommended the scheme be approved in December 2022 but the authority’s planning committee deferred a decision so that a site visit could take place. 

As well as lodging an appeal, the developer has asked for its costs to be covered by the city council. 

Kersh Worral Commercial said the delay in conducting a site visit and reporting the application back to the committee was “unacceptable, unnecessary, and unreasonable”, according to the applicant’s statement of case for the appeal. 

The city council said the delay was down to the elections that happened earlier this year. 

An excerpt from the city council’s response to the costs application states that the committee decided to defer a decision on the scheme until after the elections. 

It adds that the first planning committee date after the elections – 6 June 2023 – was not considered an appropriate meeting to determine the project. 

“It was considered that the following committee would be more appropriate for consideration of this major application,” the excerpt states. 

Since 6 June there have been three planning committee meetings on 27 June, 11 July, and 1 August. The application was not determined at any of these meetings.

DAY Architectural is leading on the scheme’s design and Broadgrove is the planning consultant.

The post Liverpool given chance to escape costly appeal  appeared first on Place North West.

MCR Property Group will use the £48m refinancing deal to move forward with a series of pipeline projects across the country.

The refinancing deal focuses on a number of the company’s previous developments, including two student accommodation buildings in Liverpool. These buildings are the 240-bedroom Unity Square and Haigh Court, which has more than 150 bedrooms.

MCR, which has offices in Manchester, London, Birmingham, and Glasgow, will also refinance phase two of a residential development in Luton and two industrial business parks in Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire.

David Tracey, chief operating officer of MCR, commented: “In an uncertain marketplace, we need to be incredibly thoughtful and strategic in our approach to borrowing, consolidating debt, and freeing up cash, which will allow us to continue to build our portfolio in line with our long-term strategy.

“The size and terms of this deal highlight the strength of our position in the marketplace and the confidence in us from Zorin, a long-established and reputable finance company.”

Alexander Banbury, lending director at Zorin Finance, added: “We look forward to supporting [MCR] on this transaction and to building our relationship with the group over the next few years.

“We have been impressed by the diversity of MCR’s portfolio, which played a crucial role in structuring this deal and demonstrates their ability to successfully navigate multiple sectors of the real estate market.”

In February, MCR was also granted a £100m debt facility from ICG Real Estate to assist with the developer’s push to grow its industrial portfolio. The deal funded MCR’s purchase, refurbishment, and expansion of six commercial projects.

The post MCR Property secures £48m refinancing deal appeared first on Place North West.

Wroot Design is the architect behind the scheme, which would see new life breathed into the former Bank of England building at 31 Castle Street. The former bank has been vacant since TSB Bank left in the 1990s.

Proposals for the three-storey building include the conversion of the ground- and first-floor levels to deliver a restaurant area and central bar, complete with private dining spaces.

Downstairs, the basement would house the kitchens and other back-of-house facilities, while storage and office space would be provided upstairs.

The existing disused car park space would also be altered to build a retractable glass section to be used as a bar in the summer.

As the Bank of England building is a grade one-listed property, only certain alterations will be permitted. The property was built in 1845 and remains “architecturally in good order”, according to a heritage impact assessment submitted by Townscape.

The main building’s elevations are to remain unaltered, while the additional extension attached to the rear is to have a new roof and new window openings created in two elevations.

Officers have recommended that councillors approve the scheme. This recommendation comes despite a number of concerns raised, most notably by councillors Nick Small and Christine Banks, who have highlighted the potential negative impact of the project on neighbouring residents.

To find out more about the plans, search for application numbers 22F/0422 and 22L/0469 on Liverpool City Council’s planning portal.

JSM has a wide portfolio across the city. Last September, the company was granted planning permission to transform the former NatWest building across the road at 20-34 Castle Street into a 92-bedroom hotel.

In October, JSM, along with Greenwood Developments, bought the Cavern Walks shopping centre for £7m for its conversion into a hotel.

The post Liverpool’s old Bank of England could become restaurant appeared first on Place North West.

M&S took over half of the former Debenhams unit at Liverpool ONE in a deal last year that saw the retailer agree to relocate from its Church Street spot.

That deal was negotiated between Savills on behalf of M&S and Liverpool ONE agents Metis Real Estate Advisors and CBRE.

The Liverpool ONE M&S offers a mixture of clothing, footwear, accessories, homewares, beauty products, and groceries to customers. It boasts a coffee shop, bakery, and dedicated wine shop.

The store employs 320 staff members.

Store manager Kirsty Williams said: “The store is an exciting investment in the future of M&S in Liverpool, and I can’t wait for our customers to explore all the new features that the store has to offer.”

Liverpool ONE owner, Grosvenor, also issued its support for the new store.

Rob Deacon, senior asset manager at Grosvenor, said: “It has been fantastic working with the M&S team to help them achieve their vision of delivering a modern and enticing showcase space which provides an enhanced experience for their customers.

“To be the location of choice within Liverpool for another retail giant’s flagship store evidences the fantastic work we do for brands and operators alike.”

While M&S occupies half of the ex-Debenhams, the remaining space has been taken on by Gravity MAX. The entertainment venue opened last week.

This is not the only Debenhams M&S has moved into. The retailer is set to open at the ex-Debenhams unit at the Trafford Centre later this year.

Curious as to what the Liverpool ONE M&S looks like? Take a quick virtual tour by browsing the gallery below.

Click on any image to launch gallery. All photos provided by Aver PR.