City Purchases Wasteland Originally Planned for £200M Development

Council Buys Derelict Site Once Planned for £200M Development

A long-abandoned site in Liverpool’s Chinatown has been purchased by the city council for over £10 million. The 4.5-acre (1.8-hectare) plot on Great George Street has remained vacant since a £200 million project to build 790 luxury apartments stalled in 2016.

Liverpool City Council acquired the land after its former owner went into administration and is now seeking a developer to create homes and businesses on the site.

Calls for Council Housing

Opposition leaders have called for the site to prioritise high-quality council housing rather than what they described as “lifeless apartments.”

Legal Hurdles Cleared

The council’s purchase required High Court approval due to the complexities of long leases and the insolvency of the previous owner. The court approved the sale on November 15, and the deal was finalized two weeks later.

Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram expressed relief at overcoming legal challenges, calling the project one of the most exciting developments in the country. He highlighted its connection to the new Liverpool Baltic Station as a significant asset.

Regeneration Plans

The council, with support from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and the government, intends to use the site to “catalyse” the regeneration of Chinatown and surrounding areas.

Nick Small, cabinet member for growth and the economy, emphasised the site’s importance to the city’s future development.

Opposition Liberal Democrat leader Carl Cashman supported the acquisition but urged a rethink of development plans:

“This is an opportunity to build a high-quality estate with a mix of council and private rental properties. The worst outcome would be more lifeless flats like we’ve seen elsewhere in the city.”

The council’s next steps will focus on identifying a developer and ensuring the project aligns with the community’s needs.