North West transformation Group, Torus, is to redevelop a historic dockside site and bring affordable housing options to the iconic Liverpool City Centre location.

Redeveloping the vacant, former industrial, 0.8ha site on Lightbody Street, off Great Howard Street, will see Torus invest over £30 million into the area as part of the Group’s £1 billion investment in the Liverpool City Region over the next five years.

The site is located in an area that is incredibly significant in the story of Liverpool’s heritage, situated next to Stanley Dock and adjacent to the start of the Leeds Liverpool Canal – which are both part of the Maritime Mercantile City World Heritage Site. This development will see the Group sensitively repurpose the disused land, to meet the needs of future residents and visitors to the City.

Working with local partners, Torus will redevelop the former industrial site and bring much-needed affordable housing options to the City, with 10 3-bedroom townhouses and 200 apartments, comprising a mix of 1, 2 and 3-bedroom, being built on site – all of which will be available via Rent to Buy.

Alongside residential development, Torus will also bring forward 720sqm of high-quality commercial space, split between new units on the ground floor of the proposed apartment building and the site’s disused railway arches, which would be refurbished for retail or business purposes.

Finally, as part of the Group’s commitment to respecting the importance of the site, a landscaped pedestrian link will be incorporated into the development alongside the North edge of the listed Stanley Flight Canal Locks so residents and the public can explore and learn more about the UNESCO site and Liverpool’s maritime history.

Discussing the landmark scheme, Managing Director of Torus Developments, Chris Bowen, said;

“As a Group, we are committed to working with strategic partners across Liverpool and actively investing in the economic recovery and regeneration of the City, post-COVID-19.

“The Stanley Dock complex, alongside which the development is proposed, is integral to Liverpool’s history. The development will make a massive contribution to the ongoing regeneration of Stanley Dock, and the wider Ten Streets area.

“The brownfield site is in close proximity to some of the City’s most famous maritime landmarks such as Bramley Moore Dock – the location for Everton’s proposed stadium – the Titanic Hotel, as well as Stanley Dock itself and developments such as this are integral to the regeneration of North Liverpool as a whole.

“Torus will ensure that this project will not only reflect the area’s vast history, but will meet the needs of future residents by becoming a modern, safe and most importantly, affordable place to live in an area of the City that has great potential for growth.”