Liverpool baby hospice Zoe’s Place wins unanimous approval from city’s planning committee to build a £3.5m new home. Tony McDonough reports

Image of proposed new Zoe’s Place baby hospice in Liverpool

Liverpool councillors have given unanimous approval to baby hospice Zoe’s place to build a new £3.5m home in West Derby.

In March the hospice, which is currently based in Yew Tree Lane in West Derby, launched a £3.5m appeal to build a new hospice at the site of a former bowling club in Hayman’s Green in West Derby. So far the appeal has raised more than £1.2m.

Zoe’s Place cares for babies and young children with life-limiting, life-threatening or complex conditions. However, its current lease is up in 2025 and this new-build facility is necessary if its work is to continue.

Designed by Mersey Design Group, the plans incorporate an existing building as well as a new-build extension. It is located close to the Casbah Coffee Club made famous by The Beatles in the 1960s.

This central hospice space will include four bedrooms for up to eight children. There will also be a hydrotherapy pool, sensory and soft play spaces, family residential facilities, two bereavement  suites, accessible bathrooms and outdoor spaces

The hospice will also include specialist rooms for families to access holistic therapies and counselling.

Speaking in March, Michael Cunningham, Zoe’s Place trustee and former architect at Mersey Design Group, said: “I’m determined to see these plans brought to fruition.

“Throughout my career, I’ve witnessed the impact of designing spaces that not only serve the practical needs of a building but also embrace the spirit of those within and the work that they’re doing.”

Image of proposed new Zoe’s Place baby hospice in Liverpool

Councillors on Liverpool’s planning committee considered the plans at a meeting on Tuesday. Planning officers had recommended approval.

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In the report they said: “As the development site has its own, well defined, curtilage, it is not highly visible from public vantage points and, as the development would be low rise, its impact on the surrounding townscape would be minimal.

“The surrounding architectural environment is also diverse with a mix of mid-19th and mid to late 20th century dwellings. In this respect the harm to the character of the area, including the Conservation Area is considered to be less than substantial.”