Major plans unveiled for historic Merseyside Police HQ transformation
Merseyside Police’s former headquarters is set to be purchased by Homes England.
The historic site on Canning Place, which served as the force’s landmark base for more than 40 years, was put up for sale after Merseyside Police began moving to a new Rose Hill HQ in 2021.
The state-of-the-art new headquarters, just off St Anne Street, was officially opened by HRH The Earl of Wessex in March 2022.
Now, after nine weeks on the open market and the assessment of 13 bids, the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Emily Spurrell has confirmed that she is commencing the legal process of selling the 2.64-acre Canning Place site to Homes England, the Government’s housing and regeneration agency.
Homes England has submitted proposals to turn the site into an ambitious, high-quality, mixed-use waterfront development, likely to comprise residential, hotel and retail, leisure and commercial spaces. Emily Spurrell said the bid “provided the best value” .
The Police and Crime Commissioner, working with the Merseyside Police estates team, will now work with Homes England through the final stages of due diligence and site master-planning with Historic England and Liverpool City Council, with the aim of exchanging contracts later this year.
Once the sale is completed, Homes England will look to select a development partner and secure planning consent from Liverpool City Council to manage and deliver the vision for the scheme.
Eamonn Boylan, Chief Executive of Homes England, said: “Canning Place is a historic site in a prime location on Liverpool’s iconic waterfront. The acquisition of the former Merseyside Police headquarters would present a unique opportunity for Homes England to add to the significant legacy of regeneration in the area.
“Once the purchase of the site is completed, we will work with Liverpool City Council and Historic England to agree a masterplan that delivers a high-quality vision for the development that respects its waterfront setting, before selecting a development partner to transform the site into a mixed-use development fit for a new generation.”