Liverpool City Council is prepared to approve plans to incorporate the historic Heap’s rice mill into a major residential scheme.

Seychelles-based One Park Lane initially wanted to demolish the derelict building near the Baltic Fleet pub but English Heritage gave it Grade II-listed status after a campaign was mounted by Merseyside Civic Society.

Alternative plans have been submitted for 800 homes and 12,000 sq ft of leisure and retail space around a new public space, provisionally called Baltic Square.

In addition to the restored mill, there will be four new blocks, three of them 10-storey and one 14-storey on the corner of Park Lane and Liver Street, 1 Park Lane is in talks to sell the development, as a private rental scheme to an investor.

Liverpool-based Falconer Chester Hall is working on the scheme which set for approval at a meeting of the city’s planning committee next week.

On the subject of the mill Peter Brown, chairman of Merseyside Civic Society, has previously said:

“To demolish the building would be a disaster. It’s quite a distinctive piece of heritage of the port’s history. It made an important contribution and is quite rare.”

“There are lots of cotton mills, but not many rice mills and it was an important strand of business the dock was doing. The key issue is what use can be found for the building. It would be helpful if part of it could have some commercial use and other parts retained to demonstrate its former role.”

Source: The Business Desk
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Words: Daniel Pearce