Littlewoods film studios plan given £20m Budget boost

The government has pledged £20m towards plans to transform Liverpool's derelict Littlewoods building into a film and television production campus.

The funding, announced in the Budget earlier, will come from the government's Growth Mission Fund but is subject to final business case approval.

The long-delayed project would see the former Littlewoods Pools headquarters on Edge Lane turned into a 260,000 sq ft (six-acre, 2.4-hectare) creative campus for film, television, gaming and other digital screen industries.

It is unclear whether the money will be enough to meet the project's funding needs - Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram previously sought £50m in government support.

Plans to turn the landmark Art Deco building into a film and television complex have been discussed since 2017 but have faced repeated delays.

In February, Rotheram said he was "desperate" to get the project "off the ground", but acknowledged a funding gap.

At the time, the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority had committed up to £17m towards the scheme.

Developer Capital & Centric had previously warned that the cost of delivering the project "in the current climate exceeds the value of the completed development".

Liverpool City Council said the new investment would support the wider redevelopment of the site, known as the Liverpool Creative Campus.

Deputy council leader Ruth Bennett welcomed the announcement by Chancellor John Healey.

"It is one of Liverpool's great landmarks and its redevelopment presents an enormous opportunity to build on our success as one of the UK's leading locations for film and television," she said.

However, Liverpool councillor Kris Brown, who said he had raised concerns about the project's financial risks in 2021, called for strict oversight of the new funding.

"While this funding is a massive step forward, the hard work starts now," he said. "We cannot afford any more false dawns.

"The developers must urgently get a main contractor on site, and the council must implement rigorous, transparent oversight."

Brown also called for guarantees that the promised jobs, training opportunities and studio facilities would be delivered.

Built in 1938, the Littlewoods building was once used to process football pools betting slips, in which people tried to predict the results of matches.

The building closed in 1994 and was badly damaged by a fire in 2018, adding to delays in its redevelopment.

Work to clear and make the site safe began in December 2023, and planning permission for construction was granted in October 2024.

The Growth Mission Fund was set up to invest £240m between 2026-27 and 2029-30 in schemes designed to boost job creation and the economic regeneration of local communities.

The Budget also announced additional national funding for affordable housing and tackling homelessness, which Liverpool City Council said could support its work in the city.

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