A major housing update concerning a tower block which has been empty for more than 20 years
Disused Vine House on Kepler Street, just a few metres away from residential houses and the entrance to Our Lady Star Of The Sea RC Primary School(Image: LDRS)
A tower block scheduled for demolition – and known to be overrun with rats – is set for a major transformation. Vine House in Seaforth has been neglected and derelict for more than 20 years, becoming a significant blight on the surrounding houses on Kepler Street.
The 14-storey-high block was built during the high-rise boom of the 1960s and casts a long shadow over the community, towering above Our Lady Star Of The Sea Primary School. Like so many of those buildings, it fell into a state of disrepair and was eventually vacated in 2003 and remained empty ever since.
Due to the imposition of the structure and its dilapidated state, locals have become increasingly concerned about its impact on environmental health in the community. The corrugated façade and broken glass have become an all too familiar sight for neighbours also distressed by the proliferation of vermin.
The Liverpool ECHO visited the streets around Vine House in February and spoke to a Mr Monaghan who has lived in the area for twenty years, he said: “There’s all types of feral things running in and out of that block because it’s nice and warm and cosy for them and they’ve set up home. There’s families of rats walking arm in arm around here.”
Vine House, an abandoned tower block in Seaforth(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
During this time, the ECHO reported on a financial report into Sefton Council’s Capital Programme 2025/26 – 2027/28, presented at a cabinet meeting on Thursday February 13. It included a £1.5m proposal for demolition works at Vine House.
Last week, the ECHO reported on a Sefton Council Regeneration and Skills meeting (September 16), where elected members were asked to review a report into the local authority’s “Community Assets Policy”. This sets out how the council can transfer assets in a “structured, transparent, and legally sound manner” and takes into account its management strategy and its disposals policy.
One community asset was documented in the council reports and listed in its “Forward Plan” for the work programme covering October 2025 to January 2026. The first item was an update on the council-owned asset, Vine House and a forthcoming decision on whether it will be sold.
The local authority has now published a statement confirming its intention to sell off the block to a private developer who has submitted “robust proposals to refurbish Vine House”. At the next cabinet meeting (October 2), councillors will be asked to approve the disposal of Vine House with the expectation that the new owner will develop 58 apartments for private rent.
Vine House, an abandoned tower block in Seaforth(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
Cllr Daren Veidman, Sefton Council’s cabinet member with responsibility for housing, said: “Sefton Council is committed to tackling the shortage of new homes and tackling homelessness in the borough and supporting the government’s national housing policy, which focuses on the delivery of more, affordable family homes.
“These proposals for the refurbishment of Vine House will see a vacant tower block brought back into residential use providing 58 new apartments for Sefton residents.
“The work will also provide wider improvements to the area and deliver benefits to the local community in Seaforth.”
The ECHO understands the disposal of Vine House will be structured so that ownership of the building will only transfer upon completion of the refurbishment works. The council said this is so it can ensure Vine House is refurbished to a “satisfactory standard and in a timely manner”.
