McLaren Property has submitted a planning application to Liverpool City Council for a purpose-built, 242-bed student accommodation scheme on Myrtle Street, neighbouring the University of Liverpool campus.

Almost a third of the bedrooms will be studios and the rest are arranged in 4, 5 and 6-bedroom clusters around common rooms. Alongside essential shared facilities like a laundry, residents may also have access to bookable guest rooms and a variety of inviting amenity spaces, such as a social lounge, study hub and cinema room.

The design by Cartwright Pickard Architects includes Art Deco references and was refined through lengthy discussions with the city council’s planning, urban design and conservation officers. The result is a high-quality building sympathetic to a prominent location marking the gateway between the city centre, the university and the Canning Street Conservation Area.

The Myrtle Street scheme is designed to support the health and wellbeing of residents and to target BREEAM Excellent through a highly efficient building envelope and services. Its central site has good transport links and residents will also have the use of storage space for 81 bicycles.

McLaren Property is the third owner to seek to regenerate the site formerly occupied by the Ritz Roller Rink and is confident that it has found a successful solution to the constraints and sensitivities of the location.

McLaren Property’s regional managing director Tom Gilman comments:

This is going to be a really inviting and vibrant student hub on the edge of Liverpool’s knowledge district. It doesn’t just offer proximity to the university campus, but is set alongside the Georgian and Greek revival architecture of the conservation area. The previous building had long since fallen into disrepair and ceased to do justice to the location. Our sensitive design regenerates the site, respects neighbouring heritage and provides an ideal base for students.