Developer Capital & Centric starts remediation work on £70m film and TV studio complex planned for the former Littlewoods headquarters in Liverpool. Tony McDonough reports

Manchester developer Capital & Centric has taken the first steps into converting the former Littlewoods headquarters in Liverpool into a £70m film and TV studio complex.

On Tuesday it was announced that remediation work on the site, which includes the 1930s art deco building on the site close to Edge Lane, was starting this week.

The first step will be a comprehensive strip out of the buildings and securing their structural integrity, preparing them for repurposing and restoration.

This first phase of work – expected to run until next summer – will pave the way for main contractors to move in once the project secures planning approval. Capital & Centric put in a planning application to the city council in November.

Backed with £17m from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, the developer has also revealed images of what the facility would look like.

Plans for movie studios at the site have been in the pipeline for more than a decade but the scheme has been beset with delays and setbacks. 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. There were fears the building would have to be demolished following a blaze in September 2018.

In October 2022 the scheme suffered a further setback when Liverpool John Moores University pulled out of a deal to take 75,000 sq ft of space.

Thanks to the work of the Liverpool Film Office over a number of years, Liverpool is already the second most filmed city in the UK. Major blockbusters such as Warner Bros’ The Batman and Netflix’s Munich: The Edge of War were filmed in the city.

However, the drawback for the city has always been the lack of a studio, sound stage and good post-production facilities. This means as soon as the cameras stop rolling, the bandwagon rolls out of town. This project seeks to address that.

Liverpool City Council has already invested £3m to create two pop-up studios on the site called The Depot.

John Moffat, joint managing director of Capital & Centric, said: “While Liverpool is the UK’s most filmed location outside London, the city needs to keep upping the ante.

“Not only will the Littlewoods project draw in productions, it will unlock opportunities in the creative sectors for locals for years to come.

“Having submitted detailed plans to Liverpool City Council last month, getting started on site is a major moment and the beginning of realising shared ambitions for the Littlewoods project.

“There’s loads to be done before the main restoration can get going. The next six months will see an intensive period of remediation activity inside the iconic building.”

Metro Mayor Steve Rotherham visited the site on Tuesday to see work get under way. He added: “The past few years have seen our area become a backdrop to some of the biggest film and TV productions on our screens.

“It’s safe to say that we’re building an enviable reputation as the most filmed location outside of London – but I’m never content with resting on our laurels.

“The £17m we’ve invested into Littlewoods and The Depot will ensure that our area can continue to cater for every stage of the production process and attract the thousands of jobs and training opportunities it will bring with it.”