Green light for Heap’s rice mill plan

LIVERPOOL City Council has backed plans to incorporate the historic Heap’s rice mill into a major residential scheme.

Seychelles-based One Park Lane initially wanted to demolish the derelict building near the Baltic Fleet pub but English Heritage gave it Grade II-listed status after a campaign was mounted by Merseyside Civic Society.

The alternative £130m plans include 800 homes and 12,000 sq ft of leisure and retail space around a new public space provisionally called Baltic Square.

As well as the restored mill there will be four new blocks of 16, 14 and 12-storeys. One Park Lane is in talks to sell the development as a private rental scheme to an investor. Liverpool-based architect Falconer Chester Hall is working on the scheme.

Developer Elliot Lawless, said: “A lot of credit is due to Liverpool council for their advisory role and their responsiveness. We were working under tight deadlines because of our funders’ needs and they pulled out all the stops to ensure a scheme which respects and preserves this lovely old building.

“Our objective is to be on site by the spring so that we can bring this prominent site back into use as soon as possible.”