Landmark demolished as city plan moves forward

Prof Tim Jones, University of Liverpool vice chancellor, and Liverpool City Council leader Liam Robinson describe the demolition as a "milestone"

A £1bn development near Liverpool city centre is set to move into a new phase after work to demolish a key landmark building was completed.

The former Smithdown Lane Police Station has been removed as part of development of the Knowledge Quarter area in Paddington Village.

It is part of plans to transform the area into a "hub for research and innovation" and will also include a new neighbourhood, revamped green space and new active travel routes.

Liverpool City Council leader Liam Robinson said the demolition was "a landmark moment in our journey to ensuring Liverpool becomes one of Europe's leading Research and Development centres in science innovation".

The former police station building on Smithdown Lane was a well-known landmark

"An expanded Paddington Village is vital to the city's future economic growth and to creating a conveyor belt of high skilled jobs," he said.

"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."

This site currently includes the Spine office building, a multi-storey car park, and the Novotel Liverpool Paddington Village Hotel.

Professor Tim Jones, Vice Chancellor at the University of Liverpool, said, it was "the latest milestone" in the development of Paddington South which would benefit the city "in terms of jobs, reputation, wealth generation and more".

Minister for Local Growth, Alex Norris, MP, said the Paddington South site was "set to become a hub for research and innovation, driving growth and opportunities in Liverpool's Knowledge Quarter and beyond".