Despite great sums of money being invested into the regeneration of Liverpool city centre and surrounding areas, there are a large number of once beautiful buildings that have been left to rot for many years - including the Grade I listed Woolton Hall.
Some of the prominent run down buildings have been earmarked for restoration which has failed to materialise, while others have seen planning application after planning application fall through.
Many have been granted Listed status, which is given to buildings of ‘special architectural or historic interest’, providing them with legal protection against being altered or knocked down without explicit consent. However, in some cases, this has led to them being left untouched for decades and rot has taken over.
With this in mind, we asked LiverpoolWorld readers which dilapidated buildings should be given a makeover. From abandoned pubs to historic monuments that are looking rather tired, here are fifteen of the neglected Liverpool buildings that local residents would love to see restored to their former glory.
1. Grafton Ballroom, West Derby Road
Once a thriving dance venue and nightclub, The Grafton Ballroom opened in 1924 and closed in 2008 for refurbishment. It was set to reopen as a comedy club, however, the venue has been vacant since.
Last year, plans were lodged to the building to make way for a new housing development, comprising 90 rent to buy apartments. | Rodhullandemu, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
2. Sergeant Pepper's Bistro, Penny Lane
Sergeant Pepper's Bistro closed down more than twenty years ago and has been left vacant ever since. The large building is quite the eyesore. | Loco Steve CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
3. St Johns Market, Liverpool
While St Johns Shopping Centre is still up and running, its famous market was closed down by Liverpool Council in March. Residents would love to see it up and running and restored to its former glory. | Rodhullandemu, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
4. Merseyside Centre for the Deaf, Princes Avenue
The former Merseyside Centre for the Deaf on Princes Avenue is a Grade II-listed building, named by the Victorian Society as a heritage building at risk of disrepair in 2018. The abandoned building has been left to erode and rot. | Rept0n1x, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons