Planning permission approved for £100 million residential development in Liverpool

Packaged Living have secured planning approval for a £100 million two-tower development overlooking the Liverpool waterfront.

Packaged Living is a leading sustainable living specialist spanning investment, development and operations of build-to-rent homes.

The towers, of 19 and 25 storeys respectively, occupy the site of the former Littlewoods computer centre at the junction of Old Hall Street and Leeds Street and comprise 434 high quality, professionally-managed private rented homes. The scheme will be brought forward in partnership with Affinius Capital.

In addition to a mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments, the development will provide extensive resident amenities, including lounges, co-working areas, a gym and entertaining spaces. Collectively, they will be shared across both buildings, activating the ground floor and will extend out onto large, landscaped rooftop terraces with city views. Public realm between the two buildings has been designed to create a sense of place and a designated pedestrian and cycle route will be introduced through Back Leeds Street and to the site’s northern boundary.

The buildings have been designed with sustainability at the forefront and include all electric heating with air source heat pumps, heat recovery systems and a focus on car free modes of transport with a healthy active lifestyle.

“We’re naturally very pleased with the outcome of today’s planning hearing and our thanks go to the committee for its backing. We’re excited to be bringing forward a landmark development at this prominent gateway site and we’re so pleased to be able to provide more homes and public realm for this great city. An extensive public consultation unlocked the wisdom of the Liverpool public and we were delighted at the quality of people’s ideas and observations about how we could improve the scheme and connectivity towards the new Bramley-Moore Dock stadium and everything in between. The outcome is very much a shared vision,” said Edwina.

Improvements to the scheme include:

Increased active frontage at ground floor through increased glazing to elevations, with natural surveillance improved within the area as a result
Upgrade to existing city cycle route through introduction of designated cycle and pedestrian route to the north of the site
Further articulation to elevation treatment through high-quality material application
Enhanced planting and lighting strategy to public realm

“The site is highly sustainable, with public transport infrastructure on its doorstep as well as the best of the city’s leisure and entertaining scene within a short walk. For people who want to live and work in Liverpool city centre and enjoy its many amenities, it couldn’t be better located,” added Ms Coward.

Demolition of the redundant computer centre is expected to commence in early 2026, with construction anticipated to commence in early 2027. The main contractor for the scheme will be announced in due course.

Architect Adam Hall of Falconer Chester Hall says the development will provide a fitting gateway to the city’s business district.

He said:

“The buildings offer an elegant and confident entrance statement to the city’s commercial core in an area that delivers on the potential of clustering taller buildings. The views north towards Everton’s new stadium, Blackpool Tower and the Lake District fells beyond will take some beating,”

“Research tells us that people are more concerned than ever about minimising the environmental footprint of their daily living, and this development will go further than anything comparable in Liverpool with regards to utilising best-in-class energy design,” added Mr Hall.

The scheme is on the site of the former Blundell & Sons coal yard, which serviced barges using the adjacent terminus of the Leeds – Liverpool canal, which ran past the site and around the corner onto Old Hall Street. The listed former lock-keepers’ cottages, built in 1800, now form part of the Radisson Blu hotel development and are the only remaining evidence of the canal’s presence this far into the city centre.