Paddington Village, close to the city centre, is the flagship development of Liverpool’s £2bn Knowledge Quarter and aims to create an estimated 10,000 new highly skilled jobs. Tony McDonough reports.

This week you can have your say on a £1bn masterplan to create a world class science and innovation hub in Liverpool.

Paddington Village, close to the city centre, is the flagship development of Liverpool’s £2bn Knowledge Quarter and aims to create an estimated 10,000 new highly skilled jobs.

On Monday, a public consultation on the proposals will begin and will run until Friday, December 23.

As part of the consultation, a public exhibition is due to take place at Kensington Fields Community Centre on Tuesday, November 22, from 2pm to 7pm.

Video: Watch Knowledge Quarter chief executive Colin Sinclair talking  about the whole project.

Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, announced the establishment of the Knowledge Quarter as one of five Mayoral Development Zones at the International Festival of Business in June.

The 450-acre Knowledge Quarter, which encompasses Liverpool John Moores University, the University of Liverpool, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and the new Royal Liverpool University Hospital will see it become a world-class destination for science, innovation, education, technology and the creative and performing arts.

There are also plans for a new Northern Line railway station.

Click to read more about the key elements of Liverpool’s Knowledge Quarter.

Mayor Anderson said: “Liverpool’s Knowledge Quarter is an absolute game changer for the city in terms of job creation and investment and will redefine our reputation as a world leading centre for research.

“Paddington Village is the flagship development for the quarter and plans for it are hugely ambitious as befitting its status.

The so-called Spatial Regeneration Framework for the project comprises three zones across a 30-acre site:

• Paddington Central (Phase 1) – At the heart of Paddington Village, the tall buildings will complement the adjacent University buildings. Paddington Central will include a new urban square.
• Paddington South (Phase 2) – Paddington South will be largely residential and deliver medium to high density development. New green space will provide a relaxing environment, a contrast to the busier Paddington Central.
• Paddington North (Phase 3) – This area is predominantly residential and fronts on to Kensington Fields. Development in this area will complement the scale and form of Kensington Fields.

Occupiers already secured for Paddington Central are the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) for a Northern Centre of Excellence, and a 45,000 sf ft ‘live-learn facility’ for Liverpool International College made up of flats and lecture halls.

The arrival of the RCP will signal the start of phase one of the 10-year development site, encompassing 1.8m sq ft of high quality office and residential space.