Blaze tears through half-built Liverpool apartment block
Investigations are ongoing after part of the stalled Fox Street Village scheme was damaged by a huge fire this weekend.
Twelve fire engines were required to put out the blaze, which tore through the half-built 138-apartment Liverpool block.
A statement from Liverpool City Council said the building is stable.
“Our building control team has assessed the structure and, although it is substantially fire-damaged, it is currently stable. Building control will continue to monitor the situation and take any necessary action to ensure there is no danger to the public.”
The site is owned by SGL1, a company headed up by Fortis Group directors Darren McClellan and Keiran Moore. SGL1 bought the site for £1.6m in 2020, according to Land Registry.
The following year, the developer lodged plans to complete the four-storey scheme, which has been stalled since 2019.
Liverpool City Council said it intends to reach out the the owner of the site.
“Contact will be made with the owner of the site to arrange for it to be secured once Merseyside Police and Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service have completed their work,” the statement said.
“Our Private Sector Housing team will also be checking on the condition of nearby occupied flats. We will be working closely with relevant authorities on their investigation into the blaze.”
Fox Street Village was originally being developed by Primesite. In total, the project featured plans for 358 apartments across three new-build blocks and the conversion of the Swainbricks building.
Both Fox Street Village Limited, the Primesite vehicle behind the scheme, and Linmari Construction – which built the shell of the now burned-out building – have been dissolved.
Related Articles
Analysis - Event Summary
Liverpool City Region Development Update | Photos, slides, and summary
A new government, revised city council structure… could these trigger a new dawn for Liverpool and its neighbours? The public and private sector – including Everton FC, Liverpool City Council, and Muse – shared their reasons to be optimistic for the city region’s future, as well as details about the challenges the area faces.
Saw the black clouds of smoke on Saturday thankfully no one hurt, it all looks a bit murky given that no utilities appear to be connected in the building.
These stalled sites are a curse on city but it’s not just stalled sites as some of our long vacant classic buildings are at risk too. I was in Castle St last week and it looked people were climbing into the old Bank of England building over the hoardings.
By Anonymous
If an empty half built building, presumably made of concrete can go up like this, imagine the devastation that could have been caused if a similar situation occurred when it was fully inhabited?
By Anonymous