Homes England completes acquisition of former Merseyside Police headquarters in Liverpool city centre in a £17m deal – but what next for the site? Tony McDonough reports
Liverpool’s proposed Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) is set to play a key role in the development of the former Merseyside Police headquarters in Liverpool city centre.
Government agency Homes England has agreed a deal to acquire Canning Place, close to Liverpool ONE and the waterfront, in a £17m deal. It will now look to bring forward a mixed-used development plan that will include residential and commercial.
This announcement follows what was described as a “rigorous, transparent disposal process”. The site was on the open market for nine weeks and drew strong developer interest with 13 bids received.
It includes the former seven-floor headquarters building which is more than 135,000 sq ft, an annex, car park and gatehouse. It was home to the force for almost five decades. Merseyside Police’s new headquarters, Rose Hill, just off Scotland Road, was officially opened in March 2022.
Since then, Canning Place has been used to house various police teams, while refurbishments to other stations took place. It was also used as a base for significant policing operations, including Eurovision in May 2023.
Now the deal with Homes England opens the for a major new development that will include new homes as well as space for retail and leisure operators, a hotel and open space. The agency will appoint a consultant team and carry out stakeholder and public engagement.
City region Mayor Steve Rotheram is likely to take an active role in the scheme via his proposed MDC which is to be sent to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, for consideration by Government.
First revealed in early December, the MDC will look to accelerate billions of pounds of new development across 174 hectares of land close to Liverpool waterfront. This would include both residential and commercial schemes.
It is similar to the Merseyside Development Corporation established by Tory ‘Minister for Merseyside’ Lord Heseltine in 1981 following the Toxteth riots. It led to projects such as the renaissance of the Royal Albert Dock.
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Danielle Gillespie, executive regional director (North West) at Homes England, said: “Canning Place is an exceptional site right at the heart of Liverpool’s iconic waterfront, and we are pleased to complete this important acquisition.
“It is a great example of how, in line with the established Strategic Place Partnership between Homes England and Mayor Rotheram, the public sector can work together to unlock the redevelopment of public sector assets to boost housing and regeneration.”