Liverpool sets out plan for City's 1st net zero carbon building

A report to Liverpool City Council's cabinet is recommending the Council enter into an agreement with Sciontec Developments Limited (Sciontec) that will pave the way for the next landmark building on Paddington Village, in the heart of the Knowledge Quarter Liverpool (KQ Liverpool) Innovation District. To be called:- 'Henisphere,' the proposed ₤35m building will feature 116,000 square feet of innovative Grade A office space for health, education, science and tech occupiers. 'Henisphere' will be situated next to The Spine which, since opening in May this year, has won a hatful of design and construction awards, and is now internationally recognised as 1 of the healthiest buildings in the world.

Councillor Sarah Doyle, Deputy Mayor of Liverpool and Cabinet Member for Development and Economy, said:- "For Liverpool's Post Pandemic economic recovery to succeed, we need to deliver high quality schemes that generate skilled jobs that are rooted in industries that reflect the needs of the 21st century. I'm delighted with the vision and ambition behind:- 'Henisphere' to be Liverpool's 1st net zero carbon building. It would be a great addition to Paddington Village and would also provide Liverpool with much needed Grade A office space, giving people fantastic conditions to work in. There are a few steps to take before:- 'Henisphere' becomes a reality. but its potential impact on our knowledge economy is exciting. It would also highlight how serious the City is in tackling climate change as well as attracting the brightest minds to develop cutting edge medical research."

The eco friendly building will be delivered by Sciontec, the KQ Liverpool spin out development company, which is seeking to establish similar design credentials as The Spine. It will aim to achieve an excellent rating for BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method). Just 10% of buildings in the UK have this rating. 'Henisphere,' along with other key developments such as:- Festival Gardens, The Depot studios and Littlewoods Film Studios, also forms part of Liverpool's 10 Post Pandemic pledges to stimulate economic growth. It also underpins Liverpool's City Plan, which is a commitment from key public, private and voluntary sector partners to tackle inequalities to give everyone a better quality of life; regardless of background, identity or postcode.

The scheme, which will be subject to an independent valuation of the plot of land before a 150 year lease is granted to Sciontec, is seen as critical to the City's recovery by encouraging job creation in the health, science, research and education sectors. It is estimated:- 'Henisphere' will create up to 800 new jobs in the knowledge sector and support up to 100 apprenticeships during its construction phase.

Depending on cabinet approval, the next step after the agreement is entered into, would be for a planning application to be submitted in mid 2022 with an expectation that:- 'Henisphere' construction would begin later that year and be completed in late 2024.

Sciontec was established by Liverpool City Council, the University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University, with Bruntwood SciTech joining as a 4th equal partner, in May 2020. Its core mission is to build on Liverpool's world leading strengths in education, medicine, science and technology by developing the best workspace and laboratories in the country, and by bringing together and expanding Liverpool's existing knowledge assets including:- Liverpool Science Park.

Colin Sinclair, Chief Executive of Sciontec, said:- "'Henisphere' will further build on the success of The Spine and the other recent developments at Paddington Village to create a world class destination for health, education, science and technology. This will not only help deliver highly skilled jobs for people within the KQ Liverpool Innovation District but for people all across the Liverpool City Region."

The investment in:- 'Henisphere' follows the initial ₤1m investment made in Liverpool Science Park by Sciontec in mid-2021. Sciontec has further expansion plans in 2022 with another project to create further science and technology workspace in KQ Liverpool to be announced in early 2022.

For more information on Liverpool's City Plan please go to:- CityPlanLiverpool.Co.UK.

Homelessness charity launches:- 'hybrid' mix of support over Christmas

COVID will not stop Crisis from supporting people in Merseyside who are experiencing homelessness this Christmas, the charity has said as it launches a new programme of activity over the festive period. Following the Pandemic, the homelessness charity has transformed the way it provides both its Christmas and year round services. This year, staff at Crisis Skylight Merseyside will be providing a:- 'hybrid' mix of online and in person events aimed at providing support and helping guests take their 1st steps out of homelessness. The Skylight will provide activities and trips including:- Theatre and cinema visits, health walks, art classes and coffee catch ups for people experiencing homelessness in Merseyside. Crisis will also offer gift hampers full of treats and social telephone calls Skylight members. In total, 25 volunteers will help Crisis deliver its services within Merseyside.

Merseyside Skylight Director Sharron McGuinness said:- "No 1 should be homeless and alone at Christmas. It's not right that anyone should spend the holidays rough sleeping, in temporary accommodation or separated from friends and family. Crisis works to support people at risk of, or experiencing, homelessness all year round, but Christmas can be a particularly difficult time for people experiencing homelessness. Covid has meant we've made some changes to our Christmas services to ensure we can keep our members, volunteers and staff safe, but that will not stop us from working with our volunteers to offer support to people in Merseyside. We don't want, or intend, to be here delivering our Christmas services in another 50 years. We know it's within our reach to end homelessness altogether; and what's happened during the Pandemic has reinforced that; but until that time comes, we'll still be here at Christmas and all year round helping people directly out of homelessness and campaigning for the social changes needed to end it altogether."

This year marks the 50th Anniversary of Crisis providing vital Christmas services for people experiencing homelessness at 1 of the toughest times of year. Crisis Skylight Merseyside is 1 of 11 Centres across Great Britain which provides services and support to thousands of people experiencing homelessness every year to help them take their 1st steps out of homelessness. The charity relies on the generosity of its supporters to provide services for people experiencing homelessness. To make a donation, please go to:- Crisis.Org.UK.