Retail brand Next confirmed in July it was closing its huge Liverpool city centre store in 2022, to relocate elsewhere in the city, and plans to covert the building have been approved by Liverpool Council.
Business Live reports that plans to allow the use of the building on Church Street to shift from retail to other uses have been recommended by planning officers to the council’s planning committee, and submitted documents suggest that new uses could include a gym.
The submitted report stated that ‘The leisure uses identified for the basement and upper floors being likely to be a health and fitness centre, and/or a ‘competitive socialising’ leisure operation. If a health and fitness operation was delivered, this would require 24-hour operation. Any proposed leisure operation would require opening until 2 am.’
By securing permission for flexible uses of the building, including retail, the building owner would be able to keep the upper floors and the basement in active economic uses, repurposing the floorspace so it can meet the demands of potential tenants, helping avoiding periods of vacancy.
Retail management company Redevco revealed in July that Next was planning to close its store on Church Street, with the retail chain confirming it would open a new shop elsewhere in the city centre.
The building is currently split over seven floors including the basement. The site was previously home to C&A.
Liverpool Council’s planning committee granted the plans to allow the change of use on the morning of Thursday 5 November.
Proposals were also recently submitted to turn the upper floors of the nearby Cooper’s Building, which houses River Island, into apartments.
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