Spend a night in the cells - quirky 4-star boutique hotel to takeover Liverpool city centre court house

Plans to redevelop a former magistrates court in the heart of Liverpool city centre into a four-star boutique hotel could see guests spend the night in the cells - after the have been converted into luxury rooms. The Grade II listed building on the corner of Dale Street and Hatton Garden spans five floors dates back to 1855, when the courthouse was built, and includes an old fire station, built in 1897. The magistrates’ court was used for hearings until 2015. Proposals to breathe new life into the building will go before Liverpool Council’s planning committee for final approval this month.

Under the plans submitted by VSHF Developments, 91 bedrooms would be created, alongside a new build element containing 20-bedrooms with extra features such as a garden lounge, residents gym and sauna.

Luxury suites would be available in the old magistrates’ and judges’ offices and the former cells would be converted into bespoke themed short stay rooms. A public bar and restaurant would front on to Dale Street and a series of function rooms would utilise the courtrooms on the first floor. 

Court two, which is considered of high importance, would be retained as is, with the design and access statement adding: “Interesting uses will need to be found in order for the room to be of a useful nature to the hotel”.

The plans include partial demolition of “unsympathetic additions to the listed building” with the applicant stating this would “facilitate the proposed change of use and to improve the appreciation of the more significant parts of the listed building."

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This isn’t the first time that hotel plans have been lodged for the building, however, full planning permission and listed building consent have been submitted to Liverpool City Council and look set to be approved.

The plans will go before Liverpool Planning Committee on Tuesday March 12, with a recommendation for approval. The proposals would have to follow a series of conditions owing to the building’s grade II listing.