WITH work in the Plaza’s new entrance complete, the original vision for St Paul’s Square has become a reality.

The relocation of the entrance from Old Hall Street to St Paul’s Square, in the heart of Liverpool’s commercial district, will increase footfall and create a further buzz around the area.

It is the final piece of the jigsaw, opening up the whole area for workers and visitors alike. The proposals for St Paul’s Square focused on providing high-quality office space, with residential and retail, underpinned by public realm – a key element of any development.

A decent public realm creates a safe, attractive and accessible business centre environment for the thousands of people who work around the square and who pass through it every day.

Placemaking needs to embrace modernity and vibrancy in order to promote greater social interaction. All these factors will improve servicing and work arrangements for existing businesses and increase a sense of community for employees.

In turn, this should encourage recruitment due to the surroundings which remain sympathetic to the landscape.

After all, pedestrian- friendly environments within a city centre are often limited.

From a design point of view, St Paul’s Square reinforces the character and identity of the area, improving the aesthetics of the environment while remaining easy to maintain.

The public space will breathe even more life into the commercial district and make more use of a previously under-used area.

It is important to get new development right; well- located and -designed places of work reflect good planning and are good for business.

The first of a series of public events planned for the Square this summer was held last week and was a huge success. With our proposals for the final phase of development nearing completion, St Paul’s Square has raised the bar in terms of new-build in Liverpool, and will change the centre of gravity in the business district.