An historic row of Georgian town houses in Liverpool’s cultural quarter will be offered to developers from mid-March in an attempt to restore them by the end of the year.

A total of nine Grade II-listed homes on Percy Street, a short distance from the city’s two cathedrals and Hope Street, will be refurbished once they are sold, having previously been turned into one and two-bedroom apartments.

Liverpool City Council owns the homes and leases them to Sanctuary Group, but it is now seeking developers who have worked on similar schemes to bring the homes back to life after they have lain empty. It has set a deadline of the end of 2015 for the properties to be completed and ready for people to move in.

Councillor Ann O’Byrne, Assistant Mayor and Cabinet member for housing at Liverpool City Council, says: “These striking period properties have remained unoccupied for too long, and we are determined to find a way of returning them to their intended use as soon as possible.

“We are pleased to be working in partnership with Sanctuary to make sure they become occupied again and complement the area. The marketing of the properties in Percy Street is a good example of our innovative approach to tackling the problem of long term vacant homes.”

Helen Wright, project director at Sanctuary Group, says the group has been working with the council to find a solution for the homes. She adds: “We are delighted to now be at a stage where the properties can go to market. We are confident their sale will help breathe new life into the accommodation and preserve the heritage of these buildings.”

Related posts:

Empty Georgian homes to undergo £3.2m refurb Unwanted household items up for grabs at Free Shop event Georgian Quarter terrace restoration ‘not student accommodation’ Work to begin on Percy Place development following delay Funding secured for 40-storey Princes Reach residential tower Nursing home part of revised Bankfield Centre plans