Archive for category: Paddington Village

Liverpool’s flagship £1bn Knowledge Quarter development is set to enter a new phase – following the completion of the demolition of a key landmark.

Removal of the former Smithdown Lane Police Station at the Paddington Village South scheme has now completed, paving the way for new development opportunities under a masterplan being co-ordinated by Liverpool City Council and the University of Liverpool.

Paddington South, which is backed by MHCLG funding, is the next instalment of the *multi award-winning Paddington Village development.

This site currently includes the WELL Platinum standard rated Spine Building, which provides Grade A office space, a multi-storey car park, and the Novotel Liverpool Paddington Village Hotel.

The ambition for the Paddington South masterplan will be to super charge the city’s research, development and innovation sector, whilst creating a vibrant new neighbourhood for the area, embedded in sustainable development principles.

Central to the 9-acre scheme will be a revamped public green space around Grove Street, with the aim of improving biodiversity by 10% as part of the city’s wider urban green up programme and, new active travel routes linked to the wider City cycle network.

The new green space will be aligned with the Liverpool Public Realm, and Design for Access for All Strategic Planning Documents with the aim of achieving zero carbon in operation, aligning with the Council’s 2030 net zero ambitions and assisting the University in its 2035 net zero campus aim.

Through the demolition of Smithdown Lane Police Station, lead contractor Morgan Sindall Construction has aimed to recycle and reuse as much of the existing materials as possible. Working in partnership with local charity ReciproCity, existing furniture from the building was recycled and donated to local charities and businesses, which avoided in excess of 250 office desks and chairs along with other furniture from going to landfill.

Morgan Sindall has previously delivered an infrastructure package of works, The Spine,  The Novotel and the MSCP on the Paddington Village Central site. This, combined with the ongoing works at Paddington South has so far delivered  £122.5m of social value for Liverpool, including engaging with 3,534 students, employing 123 Apprentices over 1,623 apprentice weeks and engaging over 150 people through our Knowledge Quad employment courses.

• The City Council owned Paddington Village site has earned numerous industry awards including eight Considerate Construction Awards including “Most Considerate Site”, an Innovation Award from the BCO for The Spine and three Constructing Excellence North West Awards for The Spine.

Minister for Local Growth, Alex Norris, MP, said: 

“The Paddington South site is set to become a hub for research and innovation, driving growth and opportunities in Liverpool’s Knowledge Quarter and beyond, helping us deliver on our Plan for Change.

“Liverpool has always been at the forefront with new ideas and innovation so it’s exciting that the project has entered this new phase, and I look forward to seeing it progress in the months ahead.”

Councillor Liam Robinson, Leader of Liverpool City Council, said:

“The clearance of the old police station at Paddington South is a landmark moment in our journey to ensuring Liverpool becomes one of Europe’s leading R&D centres in science innovation.

“An expanded Paddington Village is vital to the city’s future economic growth and to creating a conveyor belt of high skilled jobs. Once delivered, this former brownfield site will become the engine room for the delivery of our wider Investment Zone plans for the coming decade and beyond.

“I’m delighted the focus on providing a world-class development is as much on sustainability and creating a new green lung in the city and look forward to seeing the masterplan for the site take shape and develop.”

Professor Tim Jones, Vice Chancellor at the University of Liverpool, said:

“We are excited about this latest milestone in the development of Paddington South. This site provides us with an exciting opportunity to realise a step-change in our research and development activities in areas where we are already rated as world-leading.

“We are particularly passionate about the important benefits the development will have for our city in terms of jobs, reputation, wealth generation and more.”

Colin Sinclair, CEO at Knowledge Quarter Liverpool, said:

“Paddington Village is intrinsic to the future success of the KQ Liverpool innovation district, with the capability to help create upwards of 10,000 new, highly-skilled jobs in the city region, building on our existing strengths in life sciences, robotics engineering and materials chemistry.

“The provision of green space and other amenities is crucial in creating a genuine sense of place and attracting people to live and work here. We look forward to supporting Morgan Sindall and the city council in their efforts to complete this next phase of work – taking us a step closer to realising the enormous potential of Paddington Village.”

Steven Gregory, North West Area Director at Morgan Sindall, said:

“The completion of this demolition marks a key milestone not just in the transformation of Paddington Village South, but in Liverpool’s wider ambition to become a powerhouse for innovation.

“As in our previous work at the Knowledge Quarter, we’ve taken a sustainability-first approach – maximising reuse and recycling throughout the process, and working with fantastic partners like ReciproCity to ensure surplus furniture went to local charities instead of landfill. This project is about building for the future – creating opportunities, driving social value, and leaving a legacy that benefits the community for generations to come.”

AI on the agenda at In The Know 

 

The opportunities and applications of AI were the focus of our latest In The Know event this week.

 

We were delighted to welcome more than 50 guests to the breakfast session at the Garden Suite in iC2 at Sciontec’s Liverpool Science Park to hear from a panel of experts across a range of sectors.

 

The panel featured Sciontec customers Antony Shimmin from MyCardium AI and Serge Patrick-Heselton of Clixels, alongside Ed Chan, head of legal technology at Hill Dickinson and representatives from two Knowledge Quarter Liverpool organisations – Professor Elizabeth Maitland from AI Sight, and Andrew Borland from the Virtual Engineering Centre.

 

Guests were treated to some fascinating insights around the application of AI in different business settings, how the technology is likely to develop over the coming years and how  businesses can optimise their use of new technology around the needs and strengths of their existing teams and operations.

 

Antony demonstrated how AI not only provided the platform for their game-changing cardiovascular diagnosis platform (increasing accuracy by around 40%), but how he also used it to enhance his everyday work – (who knew Chat GPT could ask you fund raising questions in a Mancunian accent!?). 

 

Also working in the healthcare space, Elizabeth discussed how AI can be utilised to diagnose patients more quickly, using a low-cost solution to provide more accurate diabetic eye-screening services.

 

For Andrew and Serge, the message of the day was that AI is a tool to be used to increase productivity – not something to be feared. Whilst for Edmund, a couple of examples on how not to use AI (and earn some embarrassing legal losses) featured in his whistle-stop tour around the complex field of AI regulation and implementation.

 

Audience questions led to some equally interesting debate, with AI likened to a baby. Be careful what you ask for, and how you say it, if you want it to grow up nicely!

 

They also enjoyed delicious coffee and breakfast pastries from our friends at Miles Coffee in iC1.

 

The next KQ Liverpool ‘In The Know’ event will be announced in the coming weeks.

 

We are excited to announce that Innovate UK Business Growth has chosen Knowledge Quarter Liverpool (KQ Liverpool) as a new in-person location! This decision reinforces KQ Liverpool’s status as a premier ecosystem for high-growth innovation.

Located in one of the healthiest buildings in the world, companies will have to opportunity to meet with their Innovation and Growth Specialist in this state-of-the-art facility at The Spine. This environment is perfect for continuing their mission of helping businesses unlock their full potential through innovation. Their tailored approach will connect pioneering companies in Liverpool with invaluable resources, networks, and investment opportunities, empowering them to grow, attract investment, and expand onto the global stage.

Innovate UK Business Growth is Innovate UK’s national business growth and scaling service, accelerating the ambitions of its clients through one-to-one support from over 450 innovation and growth specialists embedded across the UK.

Knowledge Quarter Liverpool (KQ Liverpool) is a world-leading, 450-acre urban innovation district that occupies over half of Liverpool’s city centre. Home to influential players in science, health, and technology, KQ Liverpool is dedicated to creating an environment where like-minded organisations, academics, and scientists can collaborate to drive impactful change.

With Innovate UK Business Growth’s presence in the district, we are poised to elevate Liverpool’s position as a ecosystem for high-growth innovation and create new opportunities for businesses in the region.

For more information about our ecosystem and how KQ Liverpool is driving innovation, visit our website.

Thousands set to benefit from faster access to vital NHS tests as new Paddington Community Diagnostic Centre opens to patients

People in Liverpool will now benefit from faster access to vital tests and scans for a wide range of health conditions, with the opening of a new NHS community diagnostic centre on the Paddington Village development in Edge Hill.

The new Paddington Community Diagnostic Centre offers tests to people referred by health professionals to check for a wide range of conditions including musculoskeletal problems, gastrointestinal conditions, lung conditions and cancer. It will help them get a confirmed diagnosis so they can begin the treatment they need or to get the all-clear, putting their minds at rest.

The centre is just the first phase of a wider development transforming what was previously the privately-run Rutherford Cancer Centre North West into a first-class NHS facility for the people of Cheshire and Merseyside. In a landmark agreement in March 2023, The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust acquired the building on behalf of the NHS in our region.

Initially, Paddington Community Diagnostic Centre will offer MRI and ultrasound scans as well as blood tests (phlebotomy). That will extend to CT scans from the autumn once a new scanner has been installed and commissioned. Future phases will see it expand with additional services, further boosting NHS diagnostic capacity in response to local demand.

Community diagnostic centres (CDCs) provide the NHS with additional capacity to carry out vital tests and scans in locations away from the pressures of a busy acute hospital providing emergency care.

Paddington Community Diagnostic Centre is the eighth CDC to open in Cheshire and Merseyside, which has been at the vanguard of rolling out the new centres as part of a national NHS England programme supported by government funding.

St Helens was the first CDC to open nationally, closely followed by Clatterbridge Diagnostics in Wirral. Cheshire and Merseyside now has CDCs in Ellesmere Port, Liverpool Women’s, Northwich, Southport and Halton, with two more on the way: one in Congleton and one at Shopping City in Runcorn.

Together, the new CDCs in Cheshire and Merseyside have already delivered 250,000 additional tests and scans for the NHS than would have been possible without them – a figure that will rise to 318,000 in 2023/24. That’s important because demand has grown year on year.

The number of diagnostic tests performed now is double what it was five years ago, with more than 100,000 carried out each month in Cheshire and Merseyside and demand keeps rising. It means CDCs are an essential tool in cutting waiting times and supporting earlier, faster diagnosis. 

Dr Liz Bishop, Chief Executive of The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust and Senior Responsible Officer for Diagnostics in Cheshire and Merseyside, said: 

“People in Liverpool are more likely to experience ill health than the national average so it’s particularly important that they can get the tests they need when symptoms develop.

“Faster and earlier access to tests thanks to community diagnostic centres like this will mean people with potentially serious conditions – and those living with pain or other symptoms – can get diagnosed and start treatment more quickly, giving them a better quality of life and a better chance of a successful outcome.

“Paddington Community Diagnostic Centre will help people with many different kinds of health conditions and we feel a real responsibility as a leading specialist trust to develop services like this that support the wider NHS and the communities we serve across Cheshire and Merseyside.”

Dr Michael Gregory, Regional Medical Director at NHS England – North West, said:

“We know that rapid diagnosis saves lives, and the opening of this new facility at the Paddington Village will mean thousands more patients can get life-saving tests, checks and scans in the heart of the community, without having to travel to the hospital.

“This new community diagnostics centre will help address disparities in health within the wider community and decrease the demand for referrals and hospital visits, easing the pressure on hospital facilities.

“It is another fantastic step to ensure that the NHS is making a positive difference to the way the people of Liverpool and beyond receive care.”

Professor Rowan Pritchard Jones, Medical Director for NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, said:

“We are one of the few health systems in the country to have a dedicated programme to improve diagnostics and we welcome the opening of this additional Community Diagnostics Centre for Cheshire and Merseyside as part of that work, helping us to give patients much quicker access to the tests and scans they need. We know that diagnosing patients as soon as possible can lead to better treatment outcomes, which is why centres like this one in Paddington Village are so important.”

Tracey Cole, Diagnostics Programme Director for NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, said:

“Excellent healthcare can only be provided once a patient has a diagnosis. Paddington Community Diagnostic Centre will help ensure that everyone in Cheshire and Merseyside has fast access to the tests they need in a setting local to them. Paddington Community Diagnostic Centre will see all types of patients, not just those who could have cancer. We want patients who are offered an appointment to take up their offer so that we can either rule out anything to be concerned about or be offered treatment if it is required.”

About The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre

The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK’s leading cancer centres, serving a population of 2.4m in Cheshire & Merseyside and surrounding areas including the Isle of Man and parts of Lancashire.

We provide highly-specialist services including pioneering chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiotherapy. Our unique networked model includes three Clatterbridge Cancer Centres (Liverpool, Wirral and Aintree), Clatterbridge clinics in other hospitals, and our multi-award-winning Clatterbridge in the Community service treating patients at home.

Our flagship Liverpool hospital opened in June 2020 with state-of-the-art facilities including 110 individual inpatient rooms, stem cell transplant, radiology, a Teenage & Young Adult Unit, clinical therapies, and a wide range of cancer information and support.

We are also a leading research centre with an extensive portfolio of clinical trials including early phase and first-in-human (Phase 1). We are part of Liverpool ECMC (experimental cancer medicine centre), a Biomedical Research Centre with The Royal Marsden, and Liverpool CRF (clinical research facility).

About CDCs in Cheshire and Merseyside

Eight community diagnostic centres (CDCs) have now opened in Cheshire and Merseyside since the programme launched in 2021:

• Ellesmere Port – Ellesmere Port Hospital (run by Countess of Chester Hospital)
• Liverpool – Liverpool Women’s Hospital (run by Liverpool Women’s)
• Northwich – Victoria Infirmary (run by Mid Cheshire Hospitals)
• Paddington – Paddington Village (run by The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre)
• Runcorn – Halton Hospital (run by Warrington and Halton Hospitals)
• Southport – Southport Hospital (run by Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals)
• St Helens – St Helens Hospital (run by Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals)
• Wirral – Clatterbridge (run by a partnership between The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre and Wirral University Teaching Hospital)

Two more are due to open by the end of 2023/24: one in Congleton and one at Shopping City in Runcorn.

Sciontec’s £56m landmark building on Paddington Village in the Knowledge Quarter Liverpool Innovation District will be operational Net-Zero, Platinum WELL, BREEAM Excellent, EPC Rated A, WiredScore Certified and targets a NABERS 5.5* rating.

As part of the pre-let campaign launch, new CGI images and an animation have been released today at MIPIM, showcasing HEMISPHERE by Sciontec, the new £56m, innovation-led, 119,612 sq ft development on Paddington Village, in the heart of the fast growing Knowledge Quarter Liverpool (KQ Liverpool) Innovation District. 

As we all increasingly come back together to work, demand is growing for environmentally friendly workspaces like HEMISPHERE. Smart-tech enabled, with global best practice as standard, HEMISPHERE will provide prime Grade A office space, and will be one of the UK’s first new builds with operational Net-Zero, Platinum WELL, BREEAM Excellent, EPC Rated A, WiredScore certified and NABERS 5.5*.

The building is designed for people who care about making places and the environment better and those that are driven by innovation and inclusivity.

During this week’s MIPIM – the world’s leading real estate market event –  Sciontec also announced that it will provide free sustainability guidance to all of its customers, to help them meet their own targets for operational energy use, as part of a green leasing strategy. This will form part of Liverpool City Council’s 10 post-pandemic pledges to stimulate economic growth, forecasting 800 new jobs and supporting 100 apprenticeships during construction alone.

Colin Sinclair, chief executive of Sciontec and KQ Liverpool, said: 

“We’re proud to be working with Liverpool City Council, with the support of the City Region, to deliver a holistic approach to creating Paddington Village as an inclusive destination for health, life sciences, tech and digital innovation. Nothing encapsulates that vision more than Paddington’s next new building,  the 120,000 sq ft HEMISPHERE.

“HEMISPHERE promises to change the future of work. Operational net zero carbon; designed for people who truly care about the environment, for businesses and agencies who are driven by innovation, inclusivity and wellbeing.

“We are excited to be out at MIPIM as part of the Liverpool City Region delegation showcasing the stunning new visuals for HEMISPHERE, a unique and well connected business location at the heart of Liverpool’s Knowledge Quarter.”

Situated next door to The Spine – one of the world’s healthiest buildings – HEMISPHERE will be the first new-build development for Sciontec, the owners of Liverpool Science Park, which is already in conversation with a number of potential prelets.

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, added: 

“Developments like this are befitting of a modern, forward-looking city region like ours. Sciontec’s plans for HEMISPHERE encapsulate much of my vision for the region: harnessing the expertise of our world-class universities in the heart of the Knowledge Quarter, attracting nationwide jobs and housing it all in one of the cleanest, greenest buildings in our region – the first to be operationally net zero.

 “With world leading industry clusters in infectious disease control, materials chemistry, and AI, all on our doorstep, we have a thriving innovation economy. But to keep it growing, it’s vital that we are able to offer businesses the high-tech, sustainable office space they need to flourish and catapult our area to the forefront of UK innovation. HEMISPHERE will help take us there – and I can’t wait to see it start to take shape!”

HEMISPHERE’s striking architecture has been carefully masterminded by AHR Architects to have its own personality, look and feel, with the name representing the two sides of the human brain, where the right side is creative and imaginative, and left is academic and logical.  

Rob Hopkins, director and head of sustainability at AHR, said: 

“Today is a great day in realising the vision that we’ve been working with the Sciontec team on for the last two years, and is testament to the passion that they have to deliver a future proofed, sustainable and dynamic environment at a time when the demand for grade A, innovation-led, office space is growing. 

“HEMISPHERE will be the first new build office development in the Liverpool City Region, designed to be operational net zero carbon, achieving 55kwh/m2 per year, embodying 30% less carbon than a typical office building, 30% less energy consumption, 40% less glazing and 20% more natural ventilation.”

Set across eight floors, HEMISPHERE will be the most cycling commuter friendly workspace in Liverpool city centre, with 166 secure cycle spaces and e-bike charging facilities. Customers can also take advantage of the Paddington Shuttle, cutting the 15 minute walk uphill to Paddington Village, to a five minute bus journey. 

HEMISPHERE will also feature a wellness studio, outdoor workspaces and roof terrace, innovation lab, and multi-purpose event space.

Intentions for the development were first announced in 2021, with support from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, which has already invested £12m into Paddington Village from the Single Investment Fund.

Sciontec is aiming to break ground at the end of 2023, with a completion date in late 2025.

For more information about Sciontec, visit the website and LinkedIn.