Homes England has been named as the preferred bidder for the landmark former headquarters of Merseyside Police at Canning Place in Liverpool city centre.
The site, which was home to police officers for over four decades, was on the open market for nine weeks before the government's housing and regeneration agency Homes England emerged as the chosen developer from a pool of 13 bids.
The agency has proposed transforming the prime city centre location into a mixed-use waterfront development. This could potentially include residential properties, a hotel, retail outlets, leisure facilities and commercial spaces.
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It is anticipated that the sale could be finalised later this year. Following this, Homes England will seek a development partner and secure planning consent from Liverpool Council to realise its vision for the scheme.
Funds generated from the sale of the seven-storey Canning Place will be channelled back into modernising and updating Merseyside Police's stations and buildings. Emily Spurrell, Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner, along with the force's estate team, will collaborate with Homes England during the final stages of due diligence and site master-planning, in conjunction with Historic England and Liverpool Council.
All submitted bids put in proposals for the site, taking into account nine key criteria. These included tender value, design quality, social value, the experience and capabilities of the development team, and environmental sustainability considerations.
These criteria were informed by feedback gathered from the public, businesses, and stakeholders during a consultation led by the Police and Crime Commissioner prior to the site's market listing, as well as planning requirements specified by Liverpool Council's planning team.
Ms Spurrell said: "Following extensive marketing of the site and a very robust evaluation and selection process, I am pleased to announce that Homes England is the preferred bidder for our high-profile site at Canning Place. All the bidders received an extensive pack of information advising them of the results of my consultation with local people, businesses and stakeholders and the planning requirements for such an iconic and important site.
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"Homes England submitted the bid which provided best value meaning I will now be proceeding with the legal process to sell the site to them. Canning Place occupies a prime location on our beautiful waterfront but sadly the building was no longer fit for policing purposes, and I made a commitment to selling it to generate much-needed money which we can now invest in Merseyside Police's stations to create better workplaces for our officers and staff.
"We are already saving approximately £550,000 a year on the running costs of our new headquarters, Rose Hill, compared to Canning Place. This is money which is put straight back into the frontline.
"With the sale of the site, we can move forward with the rest of our estates strategy which includes major new police hubs in St Helens, Wirral and Knowsley and new police stations in Southport and Newton-le-Willows. My focus is now completing the sale in order that Homes England can submit their proposals to the planners at Liverpool Council with the hope this key site can be brought back into use for the benefit of local people and visitors to our region as soon as possible."
Eamonn Boylan, chief executive of Homes England, added: "Canning Place is a historic site in a prime location on Liverpool's iconic waterfront. The acquisition of the former Merseyside Police headquarters would present a unique opportunity for Homes England to add to the significant legacy of regeneration in the area.
"Once the purchase of the site is completed, we will work with Liverpool Council and Historic England to agree a masterplan that delivers a high-quality vision for the development that respects its waterfront setting, before selecting a development partner to transform the site into a mixed-use development fit for a new generation."