// BBC ENTERTAINMENT & ARTS — MODA & SOCIETÀ
Liverpool's Littlewoods film studios plan given £20m Budget boost
An artist's impression of how the Littlewoods building could look after its redevelopment into a film and television production campus
The government has pledged £20m towards plans to transform Liverpool's derelict Littlewoods building into a film and television production campus.
The funding, announced in the Budget earlier, will come from the government's Growth Mission Fund but is subject to final business case approval.
The long-delayed project would see the former Littlewoods Pools headquarters on Edge Lane turned into a 260,000 sq ft (six-acre, 2.4-hectare) creative campus for film, television, gaming and other digital screen industries.
It is unclear whether the money will be enough to meet the project's funding needs - Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram previously sought £50m in government support.
Steve Rotheram previously sought £50m government investment
Plans to turn the landmark Art Deco building into a film and television complex have been discussed since 2017 but have faced repeated delays.
In February, Rotheram said he was "desperate" to get the project "off the ground", but acknowledged a funding gap.
At the time, the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority had committed up to £17m towards the scheme.
Developer Capital & Centric had previously warned that the cost of delivering the project "in the current climate exceeds the value of the completed development".