Developer Capital&Centric begins search for main contractor to build £70m movie and TV studio complex at the former Littlewoods headquarters in Liverpool. Tony McDonough reports

Capital&Centric says it will begin speaking to major contractors to help it create a £70m movie and TV studio complex in Liverpool.

Plans have been in the pipeline for more than a decade to create a ‘Pinewood of the north’ at the former Littlewoods headquarters off Edge Lane. It has seen multiple setbacks including a fire at the main 1930s Art Deco building on the site in 2018.

In 2021 a council report conceded the project was “high risk” but also offered huge benefits if successful. Capital&Centric has already converted an adjacent building, the Bunker, to become a hub for creative businesses.

Now the main project is finally edging towards reality. Capital&Centric is part-way through enabling work on the project to secure the historic buildings and prep the site. In June it revealed the historic clock tower will have to be rebuilt.

And now it is looking to engage with contractors for the main restoration works, which include two new 20,000 sq ft studios for big budget productions.

Plans submitted to Liverpool City Council last year detail how the Littlewoods Project will open up the site to the public for the first time, with landscaped courtyard gardens and a roof terrace, screening and performance zone, and foodhall.

Capital&Centric are currently in talks with a variety of operators interested in taking space at the site. It is working with Liverpool City Council as freeholder of the site and Liverpool City Region Combined Authority as project funders.

The Combined Authority, led by Mayor Steve Rotheram, has committed up to £17m to the project.

John Moffat, joint managing director at Capital&Centric, said: “We know what Littlewoods means to people locally and the last few months have been spent carefully clearing out the buildings to get them ready for the main redevelopment work.

“We’ve made good progress so we’re now on the hunt for a contractor to lead the rest of the transformation.

“This is a huge opportunity to get involved in one of the most iconic projects in the North. When it’s finished Liverpool will have a world-class film and TV destination.”

New sound stages would take around a year to be built and become operational. The programme for repurposing the existing building is longer due to the complexity of dealing with the existing structures.

They are set to feature spaces for offices, workshops, studio support facilities and an education facility.

The team is looking to speak with main contractors interested in getting involved in the project. Those interested should contact: Martin Crews, development director at mc@capitalandcentric.com