Home Bargains billionaire Tom Morris secures planning consent for 258 new homes in the Baltic district of Liverpool across two separate projects with work set to begin immediately. Tony McDonough reports
Work on two residential schemes in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle is to begin immediately after city councillors gave the go-ahead.
Davos Property Developments, owned by Home Bargains billionaire Tom Morris, has secured approval for projects in Greenland Street and Blundell Street comprising a total of 258 homes.
In Greenland Street the new development rises to 13 storeys and will include 89 one-bed homes and 110 two-bed units and townhouses, together with commercial units, a gymnasium and co-working space.
At Blundell Street permission is being sought for 59 apartments and three ground floor commercial units, with the development rising in a single step from five storeys at the junction with Simpson Street to seven storeys on Blundell Street.
It then reduces to meet the neighbouring three-storey warehouse, which is being repurposed into new homes. The new-build element will be joined to the warehouse by a bridge.
Davos is also behind the £1.2bn Kings project just north of the city centre which will include a spectacular 70-storey skyscraper close to Liverpool waterfront as part of a cluster of 10 residential towers.
“Work will begin immediately on taking the projects forward,” said a Davos spokesman. We welcome the council’s approval and thank its officers for their hard work in helping shape our proposals.”
Both projects have been designed by the Liverpool studio of Falconer Chester Hall and, says project architect and associate director, Rob Brym, offer a different interpretation of what Baltic offers as a neighbourhood.
“The starting point was the need for light and airy homes in which residents will want to put down roots, but after that the two sites provided quite different contexts for us to interpret,” explained Rob.
“Greenland Street has the room to go a bit taller and its elevated position will give many of the homes lovely views towards Wales, the business district skyscrapers and to the cathedrals.
“Blundell Street, by contrast takes as its cue the tighter, more urban grain of its location and the classic dockland warehouse vernacular. Residents here will feel very much connected to Baltic’s vibe.”
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Both schemes, says Matt Sobic of Savills, which provided planning advice to the applications, benefit from proximity to the new Baltic underground station, which is expected to be a key demand-driver when it opens.
Project teams on both include Savills, CHBS, Garry Miller Heritage Consultancy, Orion Fire, Futureserve, Prime Transport Planning, Hydrock, GIA, Zerum, Acoustic & Engineering Consultants.