Former Johnsons HQ to be £22m housing scheme

Liverpool property firm Ascot Group sells former Johnsons the Cleaners headquarters in Bootle to Plus Dane Housing for £22m residential development. Tony McDonough reports

Former Johnsons the Cleaners headquarters in Bootle

Housing association Plus Dane Housing will build 104 new homes in Bootle after acquiring a former corporate headquarters.

Plus Dane has bought the former Johnsons the Cleaners and dye works site Mildmay Road from Ascot Group. This five-acre site was acquired by Liverpool-based Ascot in 2017 following extensive remediation of the land from 2007.

It was formerly one of the largest dyeing and dry-cleaning operations in the world, placed strategically next to Liverpool docks so that it could clean the huge drapes from the first-class lounges of the city’s transatlantic liners.

Johnson Brothers began a silk dyeing business in Liverpool in 1817. Their purpose-built headquarters was opened by Lord Derby in 1910.

Now Plus Dane will build a mix of family homes and apartments in a £22m scheme partially funded by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Homes England. The value of the land sale deal was not disclosed.

“This is a substantial deal for Bootle and Plus Dane’s plans will add real value to the neighbourhood,” said a spokesperson for Ascot Group, which this month enters its 36th year of trading.

“Over the past few years we have been involved in a number multi-million pound social housing developments across Cheshire and Merseyside and we’re pleased to have facilitated this latest deal.”

Neil Kelly at MSB solicitors advised Ascot Group, with Trowers & Hamlin advising Plus Dane Housing.

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