Merseyside’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Emily Spurrell, has announced that Homes England has been selected as the preferred bidder to purchase the former police headquarters at Canning Place.
The 2.64-acre site, which served as Merseyside Police’s base for over 40 years, was put on the market last year. Following a nine-week open marketing period and a detailed evaluation of the 13 bids received, Homes England emerged as the top bidder, offering the best overall value.
The Government’s housing and regeneration agency plans to transform the prime city-centre site into a high-quality, mixed-use waterfront development. Proposals include residential housing, hotel accommodation, and retail, leisure, and commercial spaces.
Proceeds from the sale will be reinvested into modernising police stations and facilities across Merseyside, ensuring officers and staff are well-equipped to serve communities across the region.
The Commissioner, in partnership with Merseyside Police’s estates team, will now work with Homes England through the final stages of due diligence and site planning. This will involve collaboration with Liverpool City Council and Historic England, with a view to exchanging contracts later this year.
Once the sale is completed, Homes England will appoint a development partner and seek planning permission to bring the scheme to life.
All bids were assessed against nine key criteria including financial value, design quality, social impact, sustainability, and team capability. These benchmarks were shaped by public and stakeholder feedback gathered during a pre-sale consultation, along with planning guidance from Liverpool City Council.
Merseyside’s Police and Crime Commissioner Emily 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.
“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 City 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, said:
“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 City 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.”
Located opposite the Albert Dock and next to Liverpool ONE and the Baltic Triangle, the site includes the original seven-storey, 135,000 sq ft headquarters, an annex, car park, and gatehouse.
Merseyside Police began relocating from Canning Place to the new Rose Hill headquarters in October 2021, with the official opening taking place in March 2022. Canning Place continued to serve operational needs until recently, including playing a key role in the policing of the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest.
To support the sale, the PCC appointed Mace Consult Ltd, commercial property experts Colliers, and public engagement specialists PLACED. A comprehensive marketing campaign included a detailed sales brochure circulated to over 1,000 potential developers and wide promotion through industry media and social platforms.
READ MORE: Old Royal Liverpool University Hospital demolition nears completion
