Regeneration plans for Liverpool’s ‘Fabric District’ submitted

Plans have been submitted to Liverpool City Council that could see the further development of the city’s ‘Fabric District’.

The Fabric District takes its name from the historic associations with the fashion and textile industries in Liverpool and is currently home to the city’s universities and the £1bn Paddington Village scheme.

The official launch of the area is on May 10, and it will be followed by the hosting of a three-day international free arts festival sponsored by Liverpool John Moore’s University and Finsa, featuring a wide programme of events and exhibitions.

The team behind the plan include business owners, property developers, community groups and Regenda housing, as well as Professor John Hyatt, director of Art LABS at the Liverpool School of Art & Design. They have been working on the Fabric District regeneration project for the past two years.

Their mixed-use vision document includes a plan to revitalise the area, with ‘broad changes to its existing streetscapes,’ and it identifies ways to make it more welcoming to both new businesses and to the public, as well as attracting new residents.

Other plans for the area include a £50m Beatles inspired housing project called ‘Fab One, Fab Two and Fab Three.’

The Fabric District is also home to several student accommodation complexes, and additional residential developments are well underway, with an estimated 3,000 new rooms being built over the next three years for students as well as young professionals.

Jason Abbott, owner of creative hub, The Tapestry, said: ‘The cabinet submission along with May’s official launch are not just milestone events within the ongoing revitalisation of the area, but they also act to demonstrate our investment in and dedication to the scheme, and the commitment we share in driving Liverpool’s new Fabric District forward.

‘This is the culmination of many months of work by all of us who believe 100% in the area’s potential,’ he added.