St Modwen Developments Ltd is working in Partnership with Liverpool City Council on this major
45 acre mixed use regeneration project which lies 1.5 km to the north of Liverpool City Centre.
Planning permission has been granted for the scheme, comprising:
- Largest superstore in Merseyside (115,000 sq/ ft gross)
- 1000 customer car parking spaces
- 80,000 sq/ ft of additional retail units from 2,000 sq/ ft to 20,000 sq/ ft
- 20,000 sq/ ft leisure unit
- 480 apartments/ townhouses
- 70,000 sq/ ft of business accommodation
- New market hall
- 300 outdoor market stalls
- Extensive public realm works across the whole site including Everton park
- Primary Care Trust and library
Background
Great Homer Street was once a thriving area of North Liverpool and is still home of the famous Paddy’s Indoor and Outdoor Market.
The area still has a strong community however the area over the last 30 years has suffered from general decline.
In 2000 the desire to improve this well located area inspired Father Tom Williams (now Bishop Tom Williams) to draw together a Forum of interested local people with a desire to improve the area within which people live and work.
Liverpool City Council took up this challenge and in July of 2003 invited developers to submit proposals for a district centre in this well located and well populated area of the city.
In February 2004 St Modwen Properties Plc were selected as the preferred developer to bring forward transformational change to this part of Liverpool.
The project was originally given the name Project Jennifer, Jennifer being Bishop Tom’s niece, and though this name does still continue to be used it is technically know as the Great Homer Street District Centre though there are proposals to rename this centre to give a more prominent name for this important regeneration project in the 21st century.
Working with the local community together with the Project Jennifer Forum proposals were evolved and a Masterplan was developed to the point that an outline planning application was submitted in November 2005. Following discussions and negotiations with the Council’s Urban Design Officers, Planning Officers and CABE and amended outline application was submitted in October 2006 which included substantial public realm works to the proposals together with the “opening up” of Everton Park to bring this important area of open space down into the scheme.
In January 2007 Liverpool City Council Planning Committee gave a resolution to consent for the proposals which was then forwarded to Government Office North West for final ratification. In May 2007 the outline consent was confirmed. A further amended planning application was confirmed by the City Council in January 2009.
