Planning permission has been granted for a new nature park at the former Royal Liverpool University Hospital site in Liverpool, as part of wider plans to create a health-focused urban campus around the new hospital.
The scheme will transform part of the cleared hospital estate into a landscaped public garden featuring native planting, wildlife-friendly habitats, and walking and cycling routes designed to support patient recovery, staff wellbeing, and community use.
The landscaping strategy prioritises native species intended to encourage pollinators and improve long-term ecological resilience.
Plans for larger hospital estate transformation
The approval of the nature park is part of a longer-term vision for the 24-acre masterplan, which includes proposals for additional health, research and support facilities.
Planned developments include Maggie’s centre, a £5m cancer support centre expected to open in 2027, as well as a health innovation, research and clinical education partnership with the University of Liverpool.
Another part of the proposal is to build an academic health sciences campus, which would serve as a health innovation, research and clinical education partnership with the University of Liverpool.
Proposals also include efforts to expand clinical facilities within the existing hospital site as part of future phases.
The longer-term vision for the Royal Liverpool Hospital estate will be delivered in stages and designed to work alongside the current hospital without disrupting day-to-day clinical services.
Work on the first approved phase is expected to begin from August 2026, with completion targeted for the end of 2027.
The nature park project is the first to be delivered through an exclusive partnership between BAM UK & Ireland and Eden Project, which was launched last year to place nature recovery and biodiversity at the centre of construction and infrastructure projects.
Under the collaboration, the two organisations are working to embed biophilic design and ecological restoration principles across healthcare, education, and commercial developments.
The partnership focuses on three core areas: education, project delivery, and influencing wider industry adoption of nature-positive construction approaches.
At the Liverpool site, BAM has worked alongside NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group and the Eden Project to develop proposals that integrate biodiversity and green infrastructure into the healthcare environment.
At the time, the company said the Liverpool hospital development would become one of the first live examples of the partnership in practice.
Now that the Liverpool City Council has approved plans for the nature park, construction of the park is expected to begin following final preparatory works, with the delivery team also planning community engagement and environmental education initiatives linked to the scheme.
“We’re delighted to see this project receive planning approval. We look forward to working with BAM and the NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool to demonstrate how nature can play a central role in supporting health and wellbeing,” said Dan James, Commercial Director of Eden Project.