£100m key worker scheme next to new hospital gets thumbs up

Ambitious £100m plans to redevelop the Erskine Industrial Estate next to Liverpool’s new Royal Hospital have been given the go ahead.

Developer Elliot Group is behind the scheme which will see the construction of a mix of key worker and student accommodation.

Accommodation will be available for hospital staff working at the new £450m hospital next door, as well as new homes for student nurses and doctors.

The development will boast state-of-the-art facilities, including yoga studios, a residents’ gym, a bar and study zones and will push the boundary of the city’s expanding Knowledge Quarter further north.

Elliot Lawless of Elliot Group, said: “We’ve worked very hard with the city council to craft a scheme that sits well within its spatial context and brings activity and animation to a key gateway site.

“The launch of Paddington Village and its early success demonstrate that there will be additional demand for student homes and key worker accommodation as the Knowledge Quarter grows and our objective is to appeal to the more discerning residents with our focus on high quality amenities and design.”
 
The Falconer Chester Hall-designed scheme will rise to 14 storeys at its highest point and comprises two buildings tied together by comprehensive public realm incorporating mature planting.  

Scheme architect Alastair Shepherd said: “The development acts as a bridge between the hospital and Islington, with some very attractive landscaping that takes pedestrians through the site.

“We saw at Liverpool ONE how this sort of enhanced permeability can knit different parts of town together and this project does that very well.”
    
The scheme will comprise 142 one and two bedroom apartments for rent, and 1007 student rooms. Existing tenants of the estate, who are all on short-term, flexible leases, have been contacted to explain the timescales of the development and been offered professional support and other accommodation in to which they can relocate.
   
Work is expected to start on site in summer.