Historic Merseyside building set for £20m transformation

A disused Victorian building overlooking the River Mersey is set to be given a new lease of life as a campus for manufacturing and engineering skills.

The Hydraulic Tower, a Grade II-listed building that once operated the bridges and lock gates of Birkenhead Docks, is at the centre of a new project to give the next generation the skills needed to drive the Northern Powerhouse agenda.

Mersey Maritime, Peel Group and Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) are among the organisations forming the public and private sector consortium behind the initiative.

At an event held yesterday (September 9), the consortium unveiled a new vision for the Hydraulic Tower building that will take three years to complete and cost around £20m.

Mersey Maritime’s acting chief executive, Chris Shirling-Rooke, said: “This is a real partnership between local private and public sector organisations, working towards a common cause.

“We have a unique chance to create a lasting legacy by developing knowledge, increasing productivity and driving our economy forward.”

Chris added: “As well as the direct benefits to employers, we see the knowledge hub as having huge potential to act as a catalyst for other developments, both in creating an environment that fosters entrepreneurship and in helping to regenerate this part of the community.”

Outline planning permission has already been secured for the Mersey Waters Enterprise Zone, where the Hydraulic Tower is located.

Gary Hodgson, the chief operating officer of port operator Peel Ports, which is part of Peel Group, said: “We’re building a new gateway to the UK economy in the form of our Liverpool2 deepwater container terminal.

“We have the Manchester Ship Canal, two international airports on our doorstep and a recent £13bn government investment in rail and road networks. It all adds up to a world-class supply chain and enviable connectivity.”

He continued: “So what better place to create this exciting development to help provide the innovators and entrepreneurs who can lead our growing economy.

“It also brings together the area’s rich maritime heritage with a new vision for the future, as we celebrate this 300th anniversary year for Liverpool’s old dock - the world’s first commercial wet dock.”

Discussing the proposed transformation and repurposing of the site, Professor Ahmed Al-Shamma’a, the executive dean of the faculty of engineering and technology at LJMU, said he believes the facility, once complete, will help to bridge the skills gap in engineering and technology, adding: “It’s absolutely vital for our economy, locally and nationally, that we provide this, to ensure the UK is able to call on the talents of the next generation of engineers and other talented innovators.”

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