Work to create a new film and TV studio on the site of the former Littlewoods building in Liverpool is progressing. The development has been described as the ‘Hollywood of the North’, and it will include office space, educational facilities, and a hotel for crew as well as extensive workshop and studio space.
The iconic Art Deco building was constructed in 1938 for Littlewoods football pools, and was used as a factory during World War Two. It has stood empty for the last 20 years, and was badly damaged by a fire in 2018. Plans for a film studio had been on the drawing board since 2015, but they finally got underway last year with developers Capital + Centric.
The landmark clocktower is to be demolished and rebuilt, BBC News reports, after a survey classed it as unsafe.
Spokesman John Moffat explained: “We explored every possible option, but the building is moving in the wind and we have to bring it down as there isn’t any other way of doing it. It’s a really sad day, but it’s also an exciting day.”
He added: “Only when the clocktower comes down will we be able to get workers into the west wing of the building to make it ready to re-use as a film and TV hub – and then the tower can go back up. It is an incredible piece of Liverpool history on the skyline and it has to go back up.”
The northwest and Liverpool in particular is a popular destination for filmmakers and TV productions, with shows such as Peaky Blinders, Doctor Who, Stay Close, and Ridley Road being filmed in the region.