REVEALED: How 11-storey block on Rapid Hardware site could look

BULLDOZERS are poised to move in on another city centre landmark just up the road from Lime Street’s now demolished Futurist cinema.

Further along, in adjoining Renshaw Street, part of a row of shops that once housed the Rapid Hardware DIY empourium, is set to make way for an 11-storey block.

If given the go ahead it will be the latest in a spree of developements redefining the look of the uptown city centre - with new near neighbours including, next door, a 13-storey student block  a 12-storey building of student flats, currently going up on the site of the old Employment Exchange in Leece Street, another block next to the Dispensary pub.

Built in the Edwardian era, the long terrace, vacated by Rapid when it moved to the old George Henry Lee building in Basnett Street, has slowly recovered to become a thriving base for businesses and restaurants.

But under plans submitted to the city council, a large chunk of it is to be torn down, this time to be replaced by an 11-storey block for residential use, an aparthotel and commercial space.

The plans have been lodged by YPG Renshaw Street to Liverpool City Council to redevelop 48-54 Renshaw Street. 

'The contextual surroundings'

This section of the row, which was built between 1901 and 1906, is set to go

The proposed development would create 160 residential units, of which 124 would be studios, 29 would be micro-apartments and seven would be apartments, including a mix of private homes and aparthotel accommodation. There would also be three commercial units across the basement and ground floor. 

Meanwhile, just across the road (Picture: George Jones)

However, an online petition has been set up urging the mayor and members of the local authority to reject the proposal and ensure that the entire block remains as one, arguing that "in light of recent losses to our cityscape it is vital that this parade of Edwardian shops which defines the character of the whole street should remain intact". 

As of Wednesday, it had 1,593 signatures.Dave Bridson, who has launched the petition, commented: “In light of recent losses to our cityscape it is vital that this parade of Edwardian shops which defines the character of the whole street should remain intact.”

Heritage consultants in a report with the application say 48-84 Renshaw Street is of limited architectural quality and does not form part of a wider coherent planned townscape. It is not, they suggest,  representative of the key period of Liverpool's history when it was one of the world's major trading cities in the 18th and 19th centuries.