Liverpool planning committee meets this week to decide on application from developer Rosmara to build a 10-storey tower with 158 homes close to the city centre. Tony McDonough reports
Councillors in Liverpool will this week decide whether to give the green light to a 10-storey residential tower in Liverpool.
Rosmara Development Group has submitted an application to build 158 new homes spanning Oriel Street and Paul Street in the Pumpfields district just north of the city centre. There will be 78 one-bed flats, 72 two-bed and seven townhouses.
Planning officers are recommending approval for the scheme which will also include ground floor commercial space, a rooftop garden, a gym and a coffee shop. This project is expected to take two years to complete. Councillors will meet on Tuesday, March 31.
However, officers are also recommending there be no obligation on Rosmara to provide any affordable homes. Usually the council’s requirement is that 20% of the homes are ‘affordable’ (rent or sale price no more than 80% of local market rate).
An exemption from the rule for this development relates to constrained viability but a clawback mechanism will be included so that viability can be retested once the scheme is complete.
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According to the officer’s report, the scheme “presents notable regeneration benefits”. It added: “The site occupies a prominent gateway location and has remained unused for a substantial period.
“Its redevelopment is expected to act as a catalyst for wider investment envisaged by the emerging Pumpfields SPD. The proposal will deliver high-quality, accessible new homes, activate the street frontage through commercial use, and support sustainable travel through substantial cycle parking and contributions to active travel improvements.
Scheme architect Martin Haymes of Falconer Chester Hall, said when the application was submitted in 2025: “The building has a modern aesthetic, but we’ve respected the local material palette through a robust brick façade.
“It occupies a whole block and so the use of bay windows reinforces its presence and will help it stand out in an area that is growing rapidly.
Alongside Falconer Chester Hall, the scheme’s professional team also includes Greyside Planning, Orion Fire Engineering, Prime Transport Planning, Element Sustainability, DPR, Urban Green and ADC Acoustics.