Hydraulic Tower back to life in £20m scheme
A DISUSED Grade II Victorian building on the banks of the Mersey is set to receive a new lease of life as an education and collaboration campus for advanced manufacturing and engineering skills in a £20m scheme.
The historic Hydraulic Tower building, which once used to drive the lock gates and bridges in the Birkenhead Docks, is the centre piece of a new project that aims to provide the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs to support the Northern Powerhouse agenda.
A private and public sector consortium behind the initiative, including Mersey Maritime, Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) and the Peel Group, have revealed a vision for the site at an event held as part of London Shipping Week.
It is expected to take three years to complete and aims to benefit the local economy with skills development and opportunities for knowledge-sharing.
The tower, which is modelled on Florence’s Palazzo Vecchio, is located in the heart of the Mersey Waters Enterprise Zone, part of which is focused on advanced manufacturing and engineering, automotive, energy, maritime and business services.
Mersey Maritime acting chief executive Chris Shirling-Rooke said:“This is a real partnership between local private and public sector organisations, working towards a common cause.
“We have a unique chance to create a lasting legacy by developing knowledge, increasing productivity and driving our economy forward.
“As well as the direct benefits to employers, we see the knowledge hub as having huge potential to act as a catalyst for other developments, both in creating an environment that fosters entrepreneurship and in helping to regenerate this part of the community.”
