Pall Mall Office and Park Development Regeneration

Liverpool’s Pall Mall office-and-park development is a high-profile attempt to restart new-build Grade A office delivery in Liverpool’s Commercial Business District. The scheme has planning history, public-sector land ownership, design work and contractor momentum behind it, but its delivery still depends on funding approvals, pre-let progress, market confidence and the final phasing of the wider masterplan. It should be read as a significant regeneration opportunity, not as a guaranteed uplift story.

Report date: 7 July 2026 Area covered: Pall Mall, Bixteth Street, Bixteth Walk, the former Exchange Station area, Liverpool Commercial Business District, and the wider Liverpool Waters / North Docks city-centre regeneration context.

Pall Mall is a proposed office-led regeneration scheme on a council-owned site in Liverpool’s Commercial Business District, behind the former Exchange Station. The wider masterplan is intended to deliver up to 400,000 sq ft of Grade A office space, ground-floor retail and leisure uses, hotel accommodation and a new landscaped public realm / garden setting. Liverpool’s inward-investment platform describes the wider scheme as a £200 million opportunity with full planning consent and completed remediation / enabling works. investliverpool.com

The current delivery focus is the first office building, commonly marketed as One Pall Mall Gardens. Developer material says the first phase is intended to provide over 100,000 sq ft of Grade A office net internal area, ground-floor retail / amenity space, flexible work areas, a business lounge, meeting rooms, leisure facilities and a redesigned communal roof terrace. Kier also says the building is intended to be net-zero-carbon enabled and to help catalyse the Commercial Business District. kier.co.uk

Liverpool City Council announced on 1 July 2026 that Liverpool City Council and Kier Property had selected VINCI Construction as design-and-build partner following a two-stage tender process. The council said the scheme would deliver high-quality net-zero-carbon-enabled office space, ground-floor retail and a new 0.5-acre greenspace. liverpoolexpress.co.uk

However, the project is not yet a completed or risk-free scheme. Place North West reported on 7 July 2026 that the first phase is now expected to cost around £60 million, with Liverpool City Council proposing to borrow £20.6 million, alongside £22 million from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority investment fund, £15 million from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government via the Strategic Futures Fund, and £1.9 million from Section 106 payments. The same report says the council is targeting a Q1 2027 start, subject to securing a pre-let, and that the previously proposed 15-year rent guarantee has been scrapped. Place North West

The property-investment reading should be cautious. Pall Mall could strengthen Liverpool’s office offer if delivered and occupied, particularly because Liverpool City Council has identified a shortage of high-quality office supply and comparatively low headline office rents versus several other regional UK cities. But historic delays, post-pandemic office-market uncertainty, changing funding structures and pre-let dependency mean investors should underwrite the scheme on evidenced delivery milestones rather than assumed regeneration upside. liverpoolexpress.co.uk +1

Project snapshot

| Landowner | Liverpool City Council | Public land ownership may support coordinated delivery, but also brings public-finance and governance scrutiny. Place North West | | Development partner | Kier Property, with CTP involved in the original planning/development partnership | Kier is leading the current first-phase delivery with the council; CTP remains relevant to the wider historic planning context. liverpoolexpress.co.uk +1 | | Contractor | VINCI Construction selected as design-and-build partner in July 2026 | Contractor selection is a major step, but not the same as a confirmed start on site. liverpoolexpress.co.uk +1 | | Site area | Around 1.2 hectares | A compact but strategically important Commercial Business District site. kier.co.uk +1 | | Wider masterplan | Up to 400,000 sq ft Grade A offices, retail/leisure, hotel and public realm | Long-term masterplan capacity; later phases remain subject to market demand, funding and phasing. investliverpool.com +1 | | First phase | Around 108,000–111,500 sq ft depending on source and measurement basis | Current leasing schedule lists 107,865 sq ft, while recent council / press material refers to around 111,000–111,500 sq ft. Treat the precise lettable quantum as subject to final leasing documentation. pallmallliverpool.com +2 liverpoolexpress.co.uk +2 | | Public realm / park | New landscaped garden / public realm; recent council release says 0.5 acre | Sources vary: May 2025 council material referred to 0.5 hectare, July 2026 council material says 0.5 acre, and marketing material refers to more than 6,000 sq m of landscaped public realm. Use “new publicly accessible landscaped garden / public realm” unless final contract drawings confirm the exact area. liverpoolexpress.co.uk +2 liverpoolexpress.co.uk +2 | | Sustainability | Net-zero-carbon enabled, EPC A, BREEAM Excellent target, all-electric design; brochure also references NABERS 5-star target | Sustainability targets should be checked at planning, construction, certification and occupation stages. investliverpool.com +1 | | Planning status | Hybrid consent granted in 2019; consent preserved / refreshed in 2022; 2026 design amendments progressed | Planning position is advanced, but delivery still depends on finance, pre-letting and construction programme. liverpoolexpress.co.uk +2 Place North West +2 | | Latest funding position | Reported £60m first-phase cost, with proposed council borrowing and public-sector funding package | Funding structure has evolved; investors should monitor formal cabinet decisions and pre-let conditions. Place North West | | Programme | Latest reported target: start on site in Q1 2027, subject to pre-let; practical completion has been discussed for 2028 in earlier reporting | Programme should be treated as a target, not a guaranteed delivery date. Place North West +1 |

Investor reading | Potentially important for Liverpool’s Grade A office supply and Commercial Business District positioning | Do not assume automatic property price growth; the impact depends on completion, occupation, surrounding public realm, wider market conditions and actual tenant demand.

Location and strategic context

Pall Mall sits in Liverpool’s Commercial Business District, close to established office streets around Old Hall Street, St Paul’s Square and Exchange Station. The site is bounded by Pall Mall, Bixteth Street and the former Exchange Station area, placing it between the core business district and the northern waterfront / Liverpool Waters regeneration corridor. Place North West +1

The site’s strategic role is not just to deliver one office building. Liverpool City Council’s earlier planning and remediation material described Pall Mall as a key project for the Commercial District and linked it to the need to improve connections between the business district, the wider city centre and Peel’s nearby Liverpool Waters scheme. liverpoolexpress.co.uk

The scheme also sits within a wider policy and regeneration context. Liverpool City Council’s Commercial Business District Spatial Regeneration Framework / SPD is intended to guide new development in the historic Commercial District, and Pall Mall has been promoted as a response to a long-running shortage of new-build Grade A office space. Liverpool City Council +1

To the north-west, Liverpool Waters is a major long-term waterfront regeneration programme. Its official project page describes a 30-year vision across around 60 hectares of dockland, with a £5 billion development scale and more than 2 km of River Mersey frontage. That context matters because Pall Mall is positioned near the hinge between the traditional Commercial Business District and the North Docks / waterfront growth corridor. Liverpool Waters

A further strategic layer is the proposed Liverpool North Docks Mayoral Development Corporation. The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority says the proposed MDC would cover around 174 hectares of brownfield land from Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium into Liverpool’s Commercial District and Pumpfields, with potential for up to 5 million sq ft of commercial space and 17,000 homes. Pall Mall is therefore part of a broader attempt to coordinate city-centre north growth, although it remains a distinct office-led scheme with its own funding and delivery risks. Liverpool City Region

What is proposed or delivered

Wider Pall Mall masterplan

The wider Pall Mall masterplan is intended to transform a 1.2-hectare Commercial Business District site into a new office-led business destination. Current Invest Liverpool material describes a 400,000 sq ft Grade A office development and a £200 million opportunity, with the council and Liverpool City Region Combined Authority working with Kier Property / CTP to bring forward the scheme. investliverpool.com

The official Pall Mall marketing site presents a consented masterplan with three office buildings and a hotel framing new public realm and green space. The current scheme schedule on the official site lists: a first office building of 107,865 sq ft, a second office building of 159,960 sq ft, a third office building of 78,840 sq ft, and a hotel building listed as 160 rooms and 89,000 sq ft. pallmallliverpool.com

There is some uncertainty around the hotel quantum. Liverpool City Council’s 2019 planning approval release referred to a 281-bedroom hotel, while Invest Liverpool’s current page refers to a 284-bed hotel, and the current Pall Mall marketing site lists a 160-room hotel component. The safest conclusion is that the hotel remains part of the wider mixed-use concept, but its final scale and phasing should be checked against the latest live planning documents before relying on any single bedroom count. liverpoolexpress.co.uk +2 investliverpool.com +2

First phase: One Pall Mall Gardens

The first phase is the main near-term delivery proposition. Kier’s March 2026 update says the first phase will provide over 100,000 sq ft of Grade A office net internal area, ground-floor retail space, flexible work areas, a business lounge, meeting rooms, leisure facilities, and a redesigned communal roof terrace. kier.co.uk

The official brochure presents One Pall Mall Gardens as the city centre’s first new Grade A office building in around 15 years and lists a total floor schedule of 107,865 sq ft. It also describes a specification targeting NABERS 5 stars, BREEAM Excellent, EPC A and net-zero carbon in operation enabled, with all-electric services and extensive amenity / end-of-trip provision. pallmallliverpool.com

The public realm is central to the scheme’s identity. The brochure says the Pall Mall Gardens landscape will include more than 100 new trees and more than 6,000 sq m of high-quality landscaped public realm, with sustainable drainage and lighting integrated into the design. pallmallliverpool.com

Delivered or materially progressed so far

Liverpool City Council approved remediation and enabling works in early 2019, supported by Local Growth Fund / Liverpool City Region Combined Authority funding. The remediation package included work to prepare the site for development and relocation of an electricity substation to serve future phases. liverpoolexpress.co.uk

By the current Invest Liverpool account, Liverpool City Council has completed remediation and enabling works, and Kier’s proposed scheme has full planning consent. That places Pall Mall beyond a purely conceptual stage, but above-ground construction has still been delayed relative to earlier expectations. investliverpool.com +1

In 2026, the project moved through further delivery steps: Kier announced the RIBA Stage 4 design milestone, Liverpool City Council approved design changes, and VINCI Construction was selected as design-and-build contractor. Those are important milestones, but the latest reported funding structure still makes pre-letting and final approvals critical. Place North West +3 kier.co.uk +3 Place North West +3

Partners, landowners, developers, public bodies and funding

| Landowner | Liverpool City Council | Council-owned Pall Mall site; council has completed remediation and enabling works. investliverpool.com | | Development partner | Kier Property | Current council development partner for the first phase; March 2026 update says the project is supported by grant funding and is intended as a Commercial Business District catalyst. kier.co.uk | | Original / wider development partner | CTP | CTP was part of the Kier / CTP team that secured the original hybrid planning consent. liverpoolexpress.co.uk | | Contractor | VINCI Construction | Selected in July 2026 as design-and-build partner following a two-stage tender. liverpoolexpress.co.uk | | Combined authority | Liverpool City Region Combined Authority | Involved in earlier site remediation funding and more recent investment-fund support for city-centre regeneration schemes. liverpoolexpress.co.uk +1 | | Central government | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government / Strategic Futures funding | Place North West reports £15m has been secured from MHCLG via the Strategic Futures Fund as part of the latest structure. Place North West | | Design team | Allies & Morrison, Re-form, WSP and others | Planning and design team names appear across planning and delivery reporting; Place North West also references Stantec in the 2026 contractor update. Place North West +1 | | Letting agents | Colliers and Worthington Owen | Official Pall Mall material lists Colliers and Worthington Owen as agents. pallmallliverpool.com | | Strategic board / investment platform | Imagine Liverpool Board | Liverpool City Council says the board brings together senior figures from the city council, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and public/private partners to drive major investment and regeneration opportunities. liverpoolexpress.co.uk |

The funding position has changed materially over time. In May 2025, Liverpool City Council said it was looking to unlock the first phase with a £15 million investment package and a proposed rent guarantee, with a minimum 40% pre-let requirement. liverpoolexpress.co.uk

By 7 July 2026, Place North West reported that the earlier institutional-investor structure had proved challenging and that the proposed 15-year rent guarantee had been scrapped. The same report said Liverpool City Council would now carry project-funding and building-occupancy risk under the new structure, while Kier would retain construction risk. This is a significant investor watch point because it changes who is underwriting risk and how the asset may be stabilised before potential sale. Place North West

Planning and governance status

Liverpool City Council’s planning committee granted hybrid planning consent for Pall Mall in October 2019. The consent covered the wider masterplan, including office space, hotel accommodation, retail / leisure uses and public realm, with detailed approval for the first office building and associated central green space. liverpoolexpress.co.uk

The 2019 approval followed the council’s appointment of Kier / CTP as development partner and the submission of a hybrid planning application in July 2019. At approval stage, the first phase was described as a 102,000 sq ft net internal area office building with 9,600 sq ft of ground-floor flexible space, basement parking, cycle spaces and changing facilities. liverpoolexpress.co.uk

The consented position was later protected / refreshed. Place North West reported in 2022 that Kier / CTP had applied to preserve the planning permission before expiry, after no above-ground construction had begun and after a prospective BT pre-let had fallen through due to the pandemic. Place North West

In June 2026, Liverpool City Council approved design changes to the first office building. Place North West reported that the amendments included a reconfigured lobby, relocation of the roof terrace to level eight, reduced basement car parking from 24 to 20 spaces, and other technical changes. The report said the changes did not materially affect the external elevations. Place North West

Governance is now closely linked to funding. The scheme has moved from a largely market-led forward-funding proposition to a more publicly enabled structure. That may improve the chance of delivery if final approvals and pre-let conditions are met, but it also exposes the project to public-finance scrutiny, cabinet decision-making, value-for-money tests and market-risk management. Place North West

Full timeline

| 2017 | Kier / CTP selected as development partner | Liverpool City Council’s 2019 approval release says Kier / CTP was appointed as development partner in 2017. liverpoolexpress.co.uk | | January 2019 | Remediation and enabling package approved | Liverpool City Council approved a £4.2m remediation plan, supported by £3.5m Local Growth Fund / LCRCA investment, with Willmott Dixon identified for site works. liverpoolexpress.co.uk | | January 2019 | Public realm ambition set out | Earlier council material described three office buildings and a hotel around a green square, pedestrian walkways, seating, ground-floor uses and a pavilion / café / restaurant concept. liverpoolexpress.co.uk | | July 2019 | Hybrid planning application submitted | The application covered the wider office-led masterplan and detailed first-phase office building. liverpoolexpress.co.uk | | October 2019 | Planning consent granted | Liverpool City Council’s planning committee unanimously granted consent for the £200m office-led scheme. liverpoolexpress.co.uk | | 2020 | Earlier planned start date not achieved | The 2019 council release had anticipated a possible Summer 2020 start after remediation / enabling works, but later reports show above-ground construction did not begin as originally expected. liverpoolexpress.co.uk +1 | | 2020–2022 | Market disruption and pre-let setback | Place North West reported that a prospective BT pre-let fell through due to the pandemic and that Kier / CTP moved to preserve the consent before expiry. Place North West | | 2022 | Consent preserved / refreshed | The 2022 planning move kept the approved scheme live, avoiding the need to start from scratch. Place North West | | May 2025 | Liverpool City Council proposes £15m intervention | The council said it was looking to unlock the Grade A office scheme with a £15m package, rent guarantee and minimum 40% pre-let requirement. liverpoolexpress.co.uk | | June 2025 | Local reporting confirms cabinet support | Place North West reported that cabinet approved the £15m funding approach and rental guarantee plan for the stalled first office building. Place North West | | March 2026 | Kier announces Stage 3 refresh / RIBA Stage 4 progress | Kier said the first phase had reached a key design milestone and would deliver over 100,000 sq ft of Grade A office space plus enhanced amenity and public realm. kier.co.uk | | April 2026 | Further public-realm funding progresses | Place North West reported proposed allocation of around £2.47m from Section 106 funds for works including The Lawns, Terraced Gardens and Bixteth Walk. Place North West | | June 2026 | Design amendments approved | Reported changes included lobby reconfiguration, roof-terrace relocation, technical sustainability changes and reduced basement parking. Place North West | | 1 July 2026 | VINCI Construction selected | Liverpool City Council and Kier selected VINCI as design-and-build partner following a two-stage tender. liverpoolexpress.co.uk | | 7 July 2026 | Latest funding restructure reported | Place North West reported a proposed £20.6m council loan, £22m LCRCA funding, £15m MHCLG funding and £1.9m Section 106 contribution, with the rent guarantee idea scrapped. Place North West | | Q1 2027 target | Latest reported target start on site | Place North West says the council is aiming for VINCI to start in Q1 2027, subject to securing a pre-let. This is a target, not a confirmed start. Place North West | | 2028 target | Earlier reporting referenced practical completion / opening by 2028 | Treat as a programme aspiration until pre-let, funding and construction-start conditions are confirmed. Place North West +1 | | Later phases | Additional offices and hotel | No firm delivery date should be assumed for later phases; they are likely to depend on market take-up, funding, planning detail and wider Commercial District demand. pallmallliverpool.com +1 |

Cautious property investor section

The investment case for Pall Mall is best understood as publicly enabled commercial regeneration. The scheme could improve Liverpool’s ability to attract and retain larger office occupiers if the first phase is built, certified, occupied and integrated with high-quality public realm. However, it should not be treated as proof that nearby residential or commercial values may rise.

The strongest positive signal is that Liverpool City Council, Kier Property, VINCI Construction, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and central-government funding streams are now aligned around moving the first phase forward. This reduces some delivery uncertainty compared with a purely speculative private development. liverpoolexpress.co.uk +1

The key caution is that the first phase remains dependent on occupational demand. Place North West’s latest report says the council borrowing is subject to securing a pre-let and that talks with potential occupiers are ongoing. Until a pre-let is secured and construction starts, investors should treat Pall Mall as advanced but conditional. Place North West

Liverpool City Council has made the strategic case that Liverpool needs high-quality office stock. Its May 2025 release said only 5% of high-quality office stock was available and noted that Liverpool’s prime office rents were below several competing regional cities. That may support the rationale for new supply, but lower rents also create viability pressure and help explain why public-sector intervention has been needed. liverpoolexpress.co.uk

For commercial investors, the most relevant due-diligence questions are: whether a pre-let is secured; what rent, incentives and lease terms are agreed; whether the sustainability specification is achieved; how service charges and public-realm management will work; and whether later phases follow or remain stalled. For residential investors nearby, the most relevant question is not whether Pall Mall looks attractive in CGI form, but whether it delivers actual employment, footfall, amenity and confidence over time.

A prudent underwriting position would be: Pall Mall may strengthen the Commercial Business District if delivered and occupied, but the timing, leasing outcome, valuation impact and wider regeneration effect remain uncertain.

Risks and watch points

| Pre-let dependency | Latest reporting says council borrowing is subject to securing a pre-let, and talks are ongoing. | Named occupier, lease length, rent, incentives, break clauses and pre-let conditions. Place North West | | Funding-structure change | The scheme has moved away from the earlier institutional-investor / rent-guarantee approach. | Cabinet decisions, loan approvals, value-for-money reports and final funding agreements. Place North West | | Public-sector risk exposure | Place North West reports that the council would own project-funding and building-occupancy risk under the new structure. | Council risk reports, scrutiny minutes, borrowing terms and eventual disposal strategy. Place North West | | Long delivery history | Planning consent was granted in 2019, but construction has not yet begun above ground. | Actual start on site, contractor mobilisation, contract close and enabling works handover. liverpoolexpress.co.uk +1 | | Office-market uncertainty | Post-pandemic office demand and weaker commercial property rental returns have affected the funding route. | Liverpool take-up, vacancy, rent evidence, investment rental returns and competing office schemes. Place North West +1 | | Public realm quantum uncertainty | Sources describe the green space differently: 0.5 acre, 0.5 hectare and more than 6,000 sq m public realm. | Final construction drawings, Section 106 documentation, estate-management plan and adoption / access arrangements. liverpoolexpress.co.uk +2 liverpoolexpress.co.uk +2 | | Hotel-scale uncertainty | Sources vary between 160 rooms, 281 bedrooms and 284 beds. | Latest reserved-matters submissions, hotel operator announcements and updated masterplan documents. pallmallliverpool.com +2 liverpoolexpress.co.uk +2 | | Sustainability delivery | EPC A, BREEAM Excellent, NABERS 5-star and net-zero-carbon-enabled claims must be delivered in construction and operation. | Final certifications, energy-use intensity, tenant fit-out requirements and operational performance data. pallmallliverpool.com |

Later-phase uncertainty | The first building does not automatically unlock all 400,000 sq ft. | Occupier take-up, investor appetite, public-realm completion, hotel partner and future planning amendments. | Interface with wider North Docks regeneration | Liverpool Waters, Central Docks and a possible MDC could change the area’s investment context, but coordination is not the same as delivery. | MDC approval, Liverpool Waters infrastructure delivery, Central Docks phasing and Commercial District pipeline. Liverpool City Region +1 |

Source links and references

• Invest Liverpool: Pall Mall
• Liverpool Express: Council to unlock Grade A office scheme in Liverpool's business district
• Kier: One Pall Mall Gardens moves forward as key milestones are achieved
• Pall Mall Liverpool: official scheme website
• Pall Mall Gardens brochure PDF
• Harlex Property: Pall Mall Masterplan
• Place North West: VINCI to build Liverpool's Pall Mall
• Place North West: Liverpool to kickstart stalled Pall Mall with grant and rent guarantee
• Liverpool Echo: update on Pall Mall Gardens urban park
• Liverpool Echo: changes planned for city centre office and park project
• Business Live: urban park at Liverpool office scheme will need public sector support
• Liverpool Waters official project page
• Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
• Invest Liverpool City Region capital and real estate investment guide PDF

Rental impact note

Rental impact is qualitative and should be treated as directional only. It depends on delivery timing, the final mix of uses, local supply, affordability, employment conditions and wider market cycles; it is not a guarantee of future rents or capital growth.