Row over ‘derelict hulk’ former office block as developer plans homes but councillors push back

Manchester developer Belvedere talks to LDRS about plans for Dominick House in Wirral

A row has broken out over what to do with a “derelict hulk” with smashed windows in the centre of Liscard. A Manchester developer wants to turn Dominick House into “high-quality” flats but Wirral councillors say the community doesn’t want that and would rather the building be knocked down.

Dominick House, a former office building on St Albans Road, currently lies empty with multiple windows either smashed or boarded up. It closed in 2018, with Wirral Council owning the freehold while Prospect Estates owns the leasehold.

The future of the building has remained in limbo for years but in December 2025, talks were revealed to be taking place between Prospect Estates and a developer. There have also been growing calls for the building to be demolished and even talk of a potential new supermarket.

The LDRS can now reveal Belgravia had been talking to the council about the future of the building in the hopes of converting it into modern flats. Computer generated images show a radical change from a building where many of the windows are currently smashed up.

However Belgravia approached the LDRS as the relationship with the council has soured and “gone non-existent”. In a January email to the council, Chris Howell, CEO and founder of Belgravia Family Ltd said: “We have received no acknowledgment or response, and our attempts to reach out have been ignored, and more recently, our calls declined.”

Emails from January and March 2026 show Belgravia were hoping to buy the freehold off the council for £220,000 to create “50 high-quality, fully managed, and mortgage qualifying apartments”. Belgravia have been involved with two Wirral developments at Hordan House in Birkenhead and Pier House in New Brighton.

They said they expected all 50 to be sold in eight weeks, claiming that within a year, building work could be finished and people start to move in.

This Belgravia said would avoid demolition costs of up to £725,000 and bring in £150,000 of council tax income. They argued it was “a low-risk, high-impact solution” by “removing a current liability while unlocking long-term economic and social value”.

However Mr Howell claimed their plans “now feel like a wasted effort, given the lack of progress with the seller”, adding: “We were originally sold on a council that was going to demonstrate proactive, deliverable results, motivated on delivering a mandate that drives growth and regeneration.”

He told the LDRS the situation had “been a bit of a nightmare”, adding: “In somewhere like Liscard, you can really put your stamp on it.

“You can create regeneration. We are a family business. We want to be proud of the developments that we do. We know the area and it will have a really positive impact on the community.”

He said: “We still want the site but it’s just there is no other alternative. We can’t wait indefinitely”

“If we can’t get this over the line, we are going to have to walk away because we need to purchase other sites. It’s probably now or never.”

After being shown the plans, Liscard’s Labour councillors said they are “not what the local community or we as local councillors want”. Cllrs James Laing, Janette Williamson, and Graeme Cooper are pushing for the building to be demolished which they said was supported by a majority in the community.

Cllr Cooper said: “Regeneration in Liscard is focusing on work that will benefit the wider community rather than serve the interests of any particular developer. As local councillors Janette, James and I will always fight for what is best for Liscard, and what residents and businesses have told us very clearly is that they do not want to see Dominick House converted into flats.

“They want this derelict hulk to be knocked down and the site put to some better use that can serve the community and help with Liscard’s long overdue regeneration. We fully support this aim and are pushing to make it happen.”

A Wirral Council spokesperson said: “The council is working closely with stakeholders to achieve the best possible outcome for Dominick House and proposals will be brought back to committee for a decision to be made on its future.”

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