ONE of Liverpool’s most familiar hair salons is on the move as a new deal to redevelop one of the gateways into the city awaits approval.

The Barbara Daley salon, on Lime Street, was one of a row of businesses bought up by compulsory purchase orders to make way for a project to completely revamp the area around the city’s main train station.

Clearing the interiors of the buildings is due to start in spring, to be followed by demolition in July.

All the businesses along the concourse have now been brought up and the row, along with Concourse House, should be gone by the summer.

Work on the replacement gateway will not begin until next year.

The Lime Street Gateway project had to be completely reappraised last month as the CPO process became more drawn out and costs spiralled.

As a result, plans for a residential complex as part of the scheme were ditched.

After years of searching for the right premises after being served with the CPO, customers of Barbara Daley will not have far to travel to the new salon.

It has found a new home just yards away in the Great Western Halls, a Grade II listed building, formerly a hotel, which is now owned by Cosmopolitan Housing.

The top floors are student accommodation, with the section allocated to the new salon a former restaurant serving Lime Street Station.

The new premises have been found thanks to the persistence of Kevin Cockburn partner at Venmore Commercial, who worked on the project for three years.

Director Paul Daley said: “It’s been a long journey trying to find somewhere the same kind of size in the same kind of area.

“With all the redevelopment going on in Liverpool, property is only becoming available now.

“It has been empty for 30 years, but when we saw it we thought it was the ideal location. It was like discovering lost treasure – with its Doric columns, huge windows and frames, it’s a massive space and we don’t know why nobody has done something with it before now.

“We’ve had to battle for the last three years to get this off the ground and find the appropriate property.

“This has so much character and so much history; it looks out on St George’s Hall, there’s not a salon like it, and to see it take shape is really exciting.”

The salon will close on January 25 and open again in its new location on January 31.

Construction of the new public realm for the Lime Street Gateway is due to start in January next year.