Plans to transform 200-year-old Liverpool building into enterprise hub revealed

A historic building in central Liverpool once used as a ballroom could soon be transformed into an enterprise hub to support the city’s growing businesses.

The University of Liverpool is currently holding discussions with Merseyside Building Preservation Trust (MBPT) and Liverpool City Council to explore the possibility of turning the derelict Wellington Rooms building, located on Mount Pleasant, into an innovation centre.

The proposals describe a facility for enterprise and entrepreneurship training, as well as office space for startups.

The University of Liverpool’s pro vice chancellor, Stephen Holloway, said: “Our ideas for the Wellington Rooms are focused around retaining more graduate talent and send out a clear signal that you can set up a business in Liverpool.

“The building is ideally placed in the centre of the Knowledge Quarter close to the universities and Liverpool Science Park. It would provide a place where people can meet, come together and generate new ideas and innovate in different ways.”

Stephen continued: “We’ve got several exciting ideas such as bringing students in to undergo enterprise and entrepreneurship training by the business community.

“There is also the possibility of young entrepreneurs taking office space in the building and we’ve got management and business schools that can mentor and coach young people and SMEs that could support them.”

Commenting on the proposals, Cllr Nick Small, the city’s Assistant Mayor, said he is excited by the vision that MBPT and the University of Liverpool have unveiled.

He said: “[The plans] are markedly different from previous plans but fit well with the way in which the area has developed in recent years.

“We are only at the start of what will be a long journey to return it back to its former glory, but this building is our top heritage priority and there is an absolute determination to bring it back into use.”

Built in 1816, the grade II-listed building closed its doors in 1997. While various organisations have proposed regeneration schemes in the years since, none have come to fruition.

In 2002, plans to turn the Wellington Rooms into a function suite were approved but ultimately failed to get off the ground. Four years later, an application to turn the site into a hotel were rejected due to the potentially detrimental impact a proposed three-level extension would have on the building.

Bill Maynard, the chair of Merseyside Building Preservation Trust, said: “The Wellington Rooms is a hugely impressive building which we simply have to find a way of bringing back to life.

“It is in a fantastic location at the heart of where our universities are based, which means it is an ideal place to be used as an innovation centre and a place to grow new businesses.”

Bill added: “There are still significant hurdles to overcome, not least the fact that the building needs millions of pounds spending on it in order to make it useable again.”

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