Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet will next week be asked to back a major investment in the Pall Mall development, a move designed to unlock economic growth, attract new businesses and help create hundreds of jobs in the city centre.
The report sets out proposals for the Council to support delivery of the first phase of Pall Mall Gardens, a flagship Grade A office development that would provide more than 107,000 sq ft of high-quality commercial space in Liverpool’s central business district.
If approved, the investment would address a longstanding challenge facing Liverpool: the shortage of modern Grade A office accommodation available to growing businesses and inward investors. The lack of suitable office space has been identified as a barrier to attracting and retaining employers, with demand currently outstripping supply.
The Council’s intervention would help de-risk delivery of the scheme and unlock wider investment into the city, ensuring Liverpool remains competitive with other major UK cities seeking to attract high-value employers and skilled jobs.
Liverpool’s proposed investment follows an established approach used by major cities across the country to bring forward strategic employment developments. The Council will help fund the development and will own it on completion in the short term until it is sold to a private investor. This route will avoid previously considered longer-term commitments to the project by the Council.
Local government in cities including Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds and London have all played a role in supporting commercial developments through public investment, land assembly, infrastructure funding and development partnerships. These interventions have helped unlock schemes that might otherwise have stalled, creating jobs, attracting businesses and generating long-term economic returns.
The rationale behind Pall Mall is similar. While Liverpool has seen strong demand from businesses seeking modern workspace, the market has not delivered a significant new Grade A office building in the city centre for more than a decade. The proposed investment is intended to bridge that gap, providing the confidence needed to bring forward development and stimulate wider private sector investment in the city centre.
The development is expected to deliver significant economic benefits, supporting construction jobs during the build phase and creating the conditions for hundreds of long-term jobs once occupied. It would also generate additional business rates income, support local supply chains and help retain talented graduates and young professionals in the city.
Alongside the office space, the scheme would create around half a hectare of new green space, improve connectivity to Moorfields Station and deliver a highly sustainable building designed to meet modern environmental standards.
Located adjacent to St Paul’s Square and Moorfields Station, Pall Mall Gardens would form the first phase of a wider regeneration programme for Liverpool’s commercial district. Subject to Cabinet approval and delivery milestones being met, construction will begin in 2027 with occupation in late 2028.
Councillor Nick Small, Cabinet Member for Growth and Economy, said: “Cities that have successfully grown their economies over the past decade have often done so through targeted public investment that unlocks private sector confidence. Manchester, Birmingham and others have shown how strategic intervention can help bring forward developments that create jobs, attract investment and strengthen city centres.
“Liverpool has ambitious businesses, a growing knowledge economy and a talented workforce, but we need the right commercial space if we’re going to attract and retain investment. Pall Mall would provide that opportunity.
“This is not simply an investment in a building. It is an investment in Liverpool’s future economic growth. By helping unlock a development that the market has not delivered on its own, we can create jobs, support businesses and generate long-term benefits for residents and the wider city.”
