Approximately 200 new homes could be built on the site of Liverpool John Moores University’s (LJMU) IM Marsh campus in Aigburth.

LJMU has confirmed that the South Liverpool campus will become surplus to requirements in 2021 when faculties are relocated to facilities at Copperas Hill.

The process of relocating teaching and learning to other campuses has already begun and from September 2021 the site will be vacant.

The university is currently exploring redevelopment options for the site and has instructed a consultant team to prepare a masterplan.

Proposed masterplan

In a letter sent to local residents, Mark Askem, estate development director at LJMU, says that following the university’s planned departure from the site, the campus provides an opportunity to deliver “much needed housing in South Liverpool, whilst opening up the site for the enjoyment and benefit of local people”.

LJMU’s plans for the IM Marsh campus include:

• Largely containing the development within the footprint of existing university buildings as ‘Previous Development Land’ to allow for the retention of the central open space, existing landscape, and the general character of the site
• A new large area of public open space at the centre of the site
• Approximately 200 new homes are proposed including detached, semi-detached, terraced and apartment (mix of between 1-4 bedrooms)
• Retention and conversion of the Grade-II listed Holmefield House to residential use
• New pedestrian and cycle routes across the site, including connecting North and South Sudley Road

Before the masterplan is submitted to Liverpool City Council as part of a planning application, LJMU is undertaking a public consultation to hear views from local residents. This will be launched on 1 June 2021 and will close on 15 June 2021.

The IM Marsh College of Physical Education and Sport dates back to 1900, and the founding of the Liverpool Gymnasium College by Irene Mabel Marsh.

The college was initially located at 110 Bedford Street near the city centre. It moved to its current Barkhill Road site in 1920 and became known as the IM Marsh campus in 1947.

Main image: Rept0n1x, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Related posts:

New apartments planned for Aigburth children’s home Decision due on residential conversion of Grade II-listed Aigburth church Autumn Budget: Chancellor abolishes Stamp Duty for first-time buyers Council appoints familiar face to top housing post Property in Focus – Five-bedroom Fulwood Park home oozes character Investment firm backs build-to-rent scheme at Wirral Waters with £130 million