Liverpool City Council has begun work on Paddington South, the next phase in the city’s flagship, mixed-use Knowledge Quarter Liverpool (KQ Liverpool) development, which is being delivered in partnership with the University of Liverpool.
Morgan Sindall Construction has been selected to undertake master planning and enabling works in preparation for future developments.
The works mark a new phase of wider development in Paddington Village that has already delivered several facilities including the Spine Building, Novotel Hotel, Liverpool International College, a 1,250 space multi-storey car park and low carbon energy centre.
Accelerating growth
Bounded by Grove Street, Smithdown Lane and Oxford Street, the plot of land is jointly owned by the University and City Council; and the ambition will be to use it to accelerate the growth of the city’s research, development and innovation sector, whilst creating a vibrant new neighbourhood, embedded in sustainable development principles.
The City Council has already received a multi-million pound grant from Government to acquire some of the existing buildings, including the former Smithdown Lane Police Station, which is expected to be demolished in the first quarter of 2025.
Public green space
Central to the development will be a revamped 9-acre public green space around Grove Street, with the aim of improving biodiversity by 10% as part of the city’s wider Urban Green-up’ Programme.
Once complete, the new green space will be aligned with the Liverpool Public Realm, and Design for Access for All strategic planning documents and the Council and University’s net zero ambitions.
Consultations with a range of stakeholders are under way to better understand how best to use this asset and create a safe and inclusive environment. An online survey will launch shortly to understand how the green space on the site is currently being used, and this will be followed by a wider public consultation exercise on the plans for the site as the masterplan is developed.
Professor Richard Black, Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Liverpool said: “We are excited about the important opportunities offered by the development of Paddington South to enable a step-change in our research and development activities in areas where we are already rated as world-leading.
“We are particularly passionate about the important benefits the development will have for our city in terms of jobs, reputation, wealth generation and more.”
Councillor Nick Small, Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet member for Growth and Economy, said: “The start of work at Paddington South is a landmark moment in our journey to ensuring Liverpool becomes one of Europe’s leading R&D centres in science innovation.
“An expanded Paddington Village is vital to the city’s future economic growth and creating a conveyor belt of high skilled jobs.
“Once delivered, this former brownfield site will become the engine room for the delivery of our wider Investment Zone plans for the coming decade and beyond.
“I’m delighted the focus on providing a world-class development is as much on sustainability and creating a new green lung in the city and look forward to seeing the masterplan for the site take shape and develop.”
Estate Strategy 2031+
Paddington South is central to the University’s new Estate Strategy which presents a clear, long-term vision for the future of our campuses, acting as a guide for our planned land and building investments.