Plan to transform Littlewoods building in Liverpool into film complex gets green light

Capital and Centric has been granted planning permission to transform a huge Art Deco building in Liverpool into a new complex for the region’s film industry.

The £70m project will see the demolition and reconstruction of part of the Littlewoods building to create a complex with film studios, including two large sound stages, offices and a cinema.

The project team includes architect Shedkm, structural engineer Curtins and M&E engineer Watt Energy.

The building, which features almost a kilometre of stucco-faced facade, was erected in 1938 as the headquarters of Littlewoods Pools, a football betting game played by 16 million people weekly in its heyday.

In World War II, the building was also used for manufacturing parachutes, but it has been vacant since 1994 and a fire in 2018 damaged the clock tower.

The tower is already being demolished for safety reasons, although the developer has plans to rebuild it.

Capital and Centric’s plans would see a major part of the development taken up by a film studio complex measuring 27,000 sq m in floor area and include two large sound stages.

Existing structures within the hangar area between the east and west wings will be demolished to make way for two new single-story blocks to provide film screening rooms alongside bars and other facilities.

The east and west wings will have their facades restored and receive remedial works, including new roofs and windows.

The south section of the west wing of the building will be used as commercial office space.