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Lime Street Gateway, Liverpool
Background
Lime Street Station opened in 1836 as the new terminus for the first public railway line in the UK, the Liverpool & Manchester Railway. The oldest remaining part of the station building – the wall to the rear of Platform 1 – dates from 1849. At the time of its construction the 47m arched train shed was the largest single-span roof structure in the world. There have been numerous refurbishments over the decades – the most recent in 1984.
The Station is Listed Grade II and lies within the World Heritage Site, adjacent to Lime Street Chambers and across from St George’s Hall and the Walker Art Gallery.
The Gateway area also encompasses a row of 13 small retail units directly in front of Lime Street Station, and the 13-storey Concourse House office tower on the corner of Lime Street and Skelhorne Street. Both buildings are in a poor state of repair and block views of the station’s attractive Victorian trainshed.
Current status
English Partnerships is working with Liverpool Vision (an Urban Regeneration Company), Network Rail, Liverpool City Council and Merseytravel to transform the Gateway area into a broad area of attractive public realm of which the city can be proud.
On 6 September 2007 the Court of Appeal refused tenants of the Concourse shops permission to appeal against the High Court’s decision to reject their challenge to the Lime St Gateway Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO).
In February, 2008 the partners gained vacant possession of the whole site and planning permission was granted.
Next steps
Demolition of the shops and Concourse Tower has now commenced and is expected to be completed early in 2009. The station’s elegant stone arched gable end of the listed Victorian station building will be revealed and new public space will be created.
