Musicians and politicians have called on Liverpool council to save one of the city's most important cultural centres by ploughing £250,000 into a takeover bid.
Small businesses based in the Parr Street complex have been served with eviction notices, including the celebrated 3345 private members club, and told they must leave by July 31 by rock star Phil Collins's company, which owns it.
The recording studios are the largest outside London and have attracted names such as Pulp, New Order and Coldplay.Last night, councillors on the Waterfront Neighbourhood Committee passed a motion calling for the council to hand over cash to help the consortium of tenants and local businesses buy the building.
Labour councillors have also sent an open letter to the council leader Warren Bradley and new chief executive Colin Hilton calling for them to intervene. The pension fund that officially owns the Parr Street building, which belongs to the ex-Genesis frontman and two other former band members, wanted to close the centre and turn the building into apartments. A business consortium led by singer Thomas Lang, who is behind the 3345 bar, tried to buy it, but the deal collapsed.
Owners Hit and Run then announced they were withdrawing the building from sale and the studios would remain open. But other businesses sharing the city centre site, including local design firms and music management companies, have been told to leave.
Cllr Steve Munby said: "How can we go forward to European Capital of Culture if we lose this? The council has a moral duty and a businesses and cultural incentive to protect Parr Street."
The consortium of tenants and local businesses has spent all year negotiating to buy the businesses for a price agreed in January. "Now they've jacked the price up to £1.6m and issued eviction notices to the tenants. We need to call their bluff. Liverpool Culture Company spent around a quarter of a million on a one-off event at the Royal Court. Surely they can find the same amount to save the Parr Street studio?"
Earlier this year, agents for the owners applied for planning permission to turn it into 47 apartments along with shop, office and leisure space but the planning application has been deferred.
No one from Hit and Run was available for comment last night.
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