- BAM UK & Ireland, NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group and the Eden Project have marked the first tree planting at a new nature-rich public park at the former Royal Liverpool University Hospital site.
- The park will feature 163 new trees, native wildflower meadows, natural play areas and outdoor spaces designed to support patient, staff and community wellbeing.
- The scheme is the first project delivered through BAM UK & Ireland’s exclusive collaboration with the Eden Project and is expected to be completed in October 2027.
The park, due to be fully unveiled in October 2027, will transform the former hospital site into a vibrant public space designed to benefit patients, nature and the wider Liverpool community.
Delivered by BAM UK & Ireland in partnership with the Eden Project and NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group, this week’s event also included important updates from project leads and a tour of the former hospital site, with illustrations of the park’s future landscape.
Once complete, the park will provide green space for patients, NHS staff, visitors and local residents, while also acting as a nature-rich landscape for local wildlife. Its features will include native wildflower meadows, trees, wildlife corridors, sustainable drainage and spaces designed to support relaxation, social interaction and recovery.
Kim Sides, Executive Director of Construction at BAM UK & Ireland, comments:
“This week marks an important milestone not only for this project, but for the way we think about the role construction and infrastructure can play in creating lasting value for communities.
“This park demonstrates our ambition to go beyond delivering physical assets and instead help create places that improve people’s lives, support biodiversity and leave a positive long-term legacy.
“The Royal Liverpool project shows what can be achieved when organisations with shared ambitions come together. Through collaboration between BAM, the Eden Project, NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group and a talented design team – including BCAL, Ellis Williams Architects, Sutcliffe and Horea Lea – we are creating a space that will benefit patients, staff, visitors and the wider Liverpool community for generations to come.”
A key feature of the project is BAM’s commitment to ensuring biodiversity benefits begin before construction is complete. Earlier this year, BAM installed a 33-metre vertical meadow around the site boundary, replacing traditional construction hoarding with native wildflowers and grasses designed to provide habitat and food sources for pollinators and other wildlife.
Zebrina Hanly, Environmental Sustainability Director at BAM UK & Ireland, says:
“Too often, biodiversity is something that arrives at the end of a project. Here, we are showing that environmental benefits can begin from day one.
“The vertical meadow already provides habitat for insects and pollinators while the wider park is under construction. It sends a powerful message that development and nature recovery do not have to be competing priorities.
“When complete, the park will include native planting, wildlife habitats, sustainable drainage features and green corridors designed to support biodiversity throughout the year. Just as importantly, it will create opportunities for people to connect with nature in the heart of the city.
“This is exactly the kind of integrated approach we need if we are serious about delivering healthier places for both people and the environment.”
The project is the first to be delivered through BAM UK & Ireland’s exclusive collaboration with the Eden Project, which was established to put nature recovery and biodiversity at the heart of the built environment.
Dan James, Development Director at the Eden Project, states: “Nature isn’t a luxury or something to add at the end of a project – it is part of the infrastructure that supports our health and wellbeing.
“At Royal Liverpool University Hospital, we wanted to demonstrate what that means in practice, which is why we’ve designed nature-rich spaces where patients can recover, families can find moments of calm, children can explore and play, and staff can step outside and decompress during a busy day.
“Healthy people need healthy places, and healthy places need healthy nature.”
Jenny Hannon, Group Chief Development Officer at NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group, comments: “The former Royal hospital site presents a unique opportunity to create a significant new green space in the heart of Liverpool. Access to high-quality green space can often be limited in city-centre environments, and this project will transform the former hospital grounds into a welcoming park for patients, visitors, staff and local communities. Working with BAM UK & Ireland and the Eden Project, we are bringing forward a nature-rich scheme that will create new habitats for wildlife, support biodiversity and play an important role in the continued development of the Royal campus.”
Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
