Liverpool looks to build knowledge quarter

Liverpool council has announced plans to build a £2bn knowledge area to redevelop the Lime Street area of the city.

Last week, the council advertised a contract to procure the services of experienced planning experts to independently produce a spatial regeneration framework (SRF) for the Knowledge Quarter Gateway (KQG).

The report will look at how best to connect the city centre to the scheme with a focus on redeveloping Lime Street area around the Adelphi Hotel.

The KQG will form the first part of the larger Knowledge Quarter (KQ Liverpool) Mayoral Development Zone.

The gateway report will also complement the wider regeneration schemes on Lime Street, including the creation of new public realm of front of Lime Street station and an extended plateau in front of St George’s Hall.

Liverpool’s local plan for Liverpool has already identified a number of issues, including the importance of increasing the economic potential of the knowledge quarter and attracting and retaining high growth businesses and research grants.

The plan also looks at supporting and enhancing the retail function of the London Road shopping area and the need to improve public realm, connectivity and green infrastructure across the area.

‘Liverpool’s knowledge quarter is redefining this city’s economy but what is most exciting is its fantastic potential for growth over the coming decade to become a world leading economic engine,’ said Liverpool mayor, Joe Anderson.

‘The gateway area is the final piece in the jigsaw that will connect the site to the rest of the city centre and complete the wider regeneration of Lime Street. Its impact cannot be underestimated and I look forward to seeing the proposals take shape over the coming year.’

The chief executive of KQ Liverpool, Colin Sinclair, added: ‘The phenomenal growth of KQ Liverpool, along with the ongoing regeneration of Lime Street, has shone the spotlight on KQ Gateway.

‘It represents one of the greatest development opportunities in the UK and, along Paddington Village, will have a major impact on the city’s economy, creating thousands of jobs, in science, tech, health, education, retail and leisure.

‘The SRF will truly allow us to plan a world-class development, enabling Liverpool to compete with any city in Europe.’

The council, which is currently developing the £1bn Paddington Village scheme in the heart of the development zone, aims to have the final SRF report on the gateway area, which covers more than 56 acres within the city centre, by spring 2019.

Once approved by the council’s cabinet it will be adopted as a spatial planning document to guide all future planning applications in the area and provide developers with detailed information of design and build issues including heights of buildings.