Green light for £50m Liverpool gateway scheme
A major gateway into Liverpool city centre is to be transformed after planners gave the go ahead for a £50m development which will pay homage to both the Beatles and the history of the local area.
Work on the three apartment blocks, called Fab One, Fab Two and Fab Three, is expected to start in July and take about two years to complete. Some 200 construction jobs will be supported during the project.
The scheme, being brought forward by Liverpool developer YPG, is at Islington, one of the main gateways into the city.
It will form part of the newly emerging Fabric District, which is set to become a thriving new neighbourhood and a home for young skilled workers and students.
Ming Yeung, managing director of Liverpool-based YPG, said: “We wanted to give the buildings a distinctive name and pay a little tribute to both the history of the area as the centre of Liverpool’s clothing and fabric trade and, of course, to the four young lads who changed popular culture for ever.”
The development will comprises three buildings of between seven and 10 storeys high, comprising a total of 449 high quality one and two-bed apartments and 12,000 sq ft of ground floor commercial space. There will also be secure cycle storage and a gym.
The buildings will feature roof top gardens, providing residents with communal green space and panoramic views over the city centre, and the River Mersey.
Yeung said: “Islington has been an unremarkable part of the city for decades now but, as part of the expanded Knowledge Quarter (KQ Liverpool), is undergoing a fabulous renaissance.
“This will be a high quality development providing affordable accommodation for professionals and key workers. I’m also really pleased that we have been able to include some apartments specifically designed for people with mobility challenges as the city centre currently has a very poor supply of such accommodation.”
YPG is a specialist mixed-use regeneration and property company that currently has some £180m of developments in its pipeline.
Yeung added: “Our development is one of a number which will see existing poor quality industrial and storage buildings being replaced by high quality residential, leisure and retail space. It’s great to see an entirely new city district emerging and meeting the needs of our new economy.”
KQ Liverpool helps generate £1bn in income per year, supporting more than 14,000 jobs and contributing to the expansion of the city region, including major redevelopment projects such as the £335m new Royal Liverpool University Hospital.
Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson said: “This development will make a huge difference to the impression people get when they drive into the city centre and we’re delighted to be working with YPG to bring forward such a transformational scheme.”
