Littlewoods: Plans for James Bond-inspired studio move forward

The Littlewoods building has been vacant for years

Further details of a proposal to turn a landmark Liverpool building into a film studio have been revealed - with planners saying the site will be inspired by 007.

Plans to renovate the former Littlewoods building into a TV and film complex were confirmed last year.

A full planning application has now been submitted with more details.

Developers are taking inspiration from James Bond's spiritual home of Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, it said.

The project could also create 690 new jobs, according to a report by consultancy firm Ekosgen.

The 007 Stage at Pinewood was built in 1976 for the Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me. It was also used to film parts of Spectre and Skyfall.

Documents in the planning application stated: "The layout is taken from the layout of Pinewood which is a series of three main boulevards interesting the site, creating a grid that allows easy flows throughout the space.

"There are gardens set out to the west, almost identical to the layout we have used at Littlewoods."

Developers previously said they hope the site will become known as "the Hollywood of the North", continuing to attract major productions like The Batman, parts of which was shot across the city.

The project was awarded an £8m investment to begin initial redevelopment of the building into a new 20,000 square-foot studios last year, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The building, pictured before a fire in 2018, has been empty since 2003

A planning statement attached alongside the full application said: "The forthcoming proposal will bring the site back into an employment-led use with the inclusion of regionally and nationally significant film studios.

"Furthermore, the proposal will introduce public access to the site for the very first time and deliver a scheme of an exemplary design which will benefit Liverpool city centre and the wider region.

"The scale and proportion of the building, combined with its white art deco aesthetic forms a striking architectural landmark."

Built in 1938, the art-deco building was developed by John Moores as the headquarters for the Littlewoods football pools, a business which at its peak had 16 million weekly players. The site lies alongside Wavertree Botanical Gardens and Liverpool's bus tram depot.

A fire in 2018 caused significant damage to the building along with vandalism and general decay.

The work, subject to council approval, is expected to begin immediately and is set to be completed next year.