City appoints design team from London architectural practice to start work on £5bn transformation of Liverpool Central Station and the surrounding area. Tony McDonough reports
Work on the “radical transformation” of Liverpool Central Station and the surrounding area is to begin with the city council appointing a specialist design team.
London-based architectural practice Hawkins\Brown is tasked with developing a Strategic Regeneration Framework (SRF) for the project which is expected to cost around £5bn and would cover an 86-acre area.
City region Mayor Steve Rotheram wants to use plans for the proposed high-speed rail line between Liverpool and Manchester as the catalyst for the Central Station scheme.
However, both the Combined Authority and the city council are keen to push ahead with the regeneration plans for the 150-year-old station and the surrounding streets regardless of whether the rail line is built.
They see the station, which has its main entrance on Ranelagh Street, as a major gateway between the retail core of the city centre and the fast-growing Knowledge Quarter.
Mr Rotheram, who is seeking £2.5bn from the Government, has persuaded Chancellor Rachel Reeves to include the scheme in a test programme for how the Government assesses the business cases for major infrastructure projects.
Whitehall typically uses what is called the ‘Green Book’, a guide that provides a framework of costs, benefits and risks. It has traditionally favoured London and the South East but the Mayor hopes reform of its methodology would be advantageous for Liverpool.
“This is a chance for us to think bigger about the future of one of the key front doors to Liverpool – creating a greener, safer and better connected gateway that works for residents, businesses and the millions of people who pass through it every year,” he said.
This SRF will be led by Liverpool City Council, working with Platform4, Network Rail’s property development company and Network Rail as a joint client, the Combined Authority and in collaboration with key partners, landowners and stakeholders.
It is set to outline how land is used, how public spaces are shaped, how people and vehicles move through the area, and will also set out principles for future development and regeneration opportunities.
Liverpool Central welcomes more than 14.8m passengers a year and plays a critical role in connecting the city centre, retail core and Knowledge Quarter.
A fundamental design principle for the proposed new station is to seamlessly integrate with Liverpool Lime Street and connect Merseyrail services with national rail services, in a similar way that King’s Cross and St Pancras operate together as a transport hub.
Steve Rotheram secured £95m from the Government in March to support his plans to develop the business case for major regeneration projects, including Liverpool Central.
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Cllr Nick Small, Cabinet Member for Growth and Economy at Liverpool City Council, added: “Liverpool Central is one of the most important gateways into our city, used by millions of people every year.
“This Strategic Regeneration Framework provides an exciting opportunity to provide a strong and transformational vision for how the wider area around the station can evolve over time.”