Landmark clocktower to be demolished and rebuilt
The clocktower of a landmark city building which is due to be turned into a film and TV studio is set to be demolished over fears it could collapse.
Work is under way in Liverpool to turn the former headquarters of retail firm Littlewoods on Edge Lane into a production hub.
Developers, Capital and Centric, said a survey had revealed that the tower had become unsafe after being left vacant since it closed in 1994.
A spokesman for the company said plans to demolish and then restore the clocktower "in the same spot" had been submitted.
The Littlewoods Project restoration has entered a critical phase
Extensive expert investigations have confirmed that the tower is at risk of toppling. To keep everyone safe & prevent more damage, we need to dismantle the tower.
Dw it’s temporary, we’re going to rebuild it. pic.twitter.com/aFGu4Z0xem— CAPITAL&CENTRIC (@CapitalCentric) June 21, 2024
A cordon has been put in place around the clocktower after engineers found the structure was at risk of falling.
Workers plan to take down this section of the historical site, first built in 1938, in the coming weeks.
The developers plan to build sound stages, studios, office space and a training facility at the site.
The renovation is previously said to have been inspired by Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, where James Bond films have been made.
The project has been backed with more than £17m from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.
