Williamson Square was one of the original city centre squares but has fallen on hard times – now people hope one big move could kickstart a renaissance for this key space
Williamson Square was one of the original city centre squares but has fallen on hard times – now people hope one big move could kickstart a renaissance for this key space
00:01, 04 Apr 2026
It’s a mild Wednesday lunchtime and Williamson Square is a hive of activity. Hundreds of people flock from the city’s main transport hubs and move across the square – weaving past throngs of pigeons – and into the city centre shopping district.
Some are sitting on benches, eating sandwiches, drinking coffee and watching the world go by – all sound tracked by the melodic efforts of a busker playing a Spanish guitar. Drinkers at Shiraz Bar are making the most of the modicum of spring sunshine on offer.
This is one of the city centre’s oldest squares, dating back to 1745 and is surely one of the busiest pedestrian thoroughfares given its proximity to both Lime Street and Queen Square stations. But it is undeniable that it feels unloved.
The benches are old and rotting, litter and bird droppings cover the pavements and a number of empty buildings – most notably the former Marks and Spencer site – give a feeling that little thought has been given to such a high profile space for a while now.
Perhaps the most visible symbol of this neglect is the large square structure that covers a large section of Williamson Square, but that currently – and for some time – has offered nothing.
This is of course referring to the Williamson Square fountains, first installed back in 2004 at a cost of more than £1m – the feature once delighted visitors to the square as its double arch of water rose out of the pavement, reaching heights of up to 12ft.
Any nostalgic gallery of images from the city centre will surely include the sight of young children running through the water on hot days – and many in this city will have happy memories of a time when this square felt alive.
Those memories may soon be brought back to life, however, with news that work is ongoing to bring the fountains back into working order.
While the metal structure is owned by Liverpool City Council, it is the Liverpool BID Company – a private, not-for-profit company that works with businesses to improve parts of the city – that is taking the lead on the project to revive this much-loved city attraction.
Tests have now been carried out to assess the viability of the structure and the BID has been issued costs for what it will take to restore and maintain the fountains. It is hoped the water could once again be firing out of the metal grids that are lined with the words of Roger McGough later this year.
Bill Addy, chief executive of the Liverpool BID, told the ECHO: “The current position is that we now have some actual costs for bringing the fountain back into use and an annual cost for maintaining it. It’s not the full system that was installed 20 years ago with all the lights and music, but it is the fountain coming back into use.
“I think it is doable as long as we can get some partners to support it, the cost is not over the top.”
Asked if we could see people enjoying the fountain in the hot weather this summer, he adds: “That’s what we are trying to work on, it is what we want to do.”
This will be music to the ears of the city’s Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Carl Cashman who has been campaigning for the return of the fountain as part of a wider vision to improve the square and brought the issue to life with a recent social media video.
“It’s a bit sad isn’t it, looking at it now compared with looking at what it used to be,” says Cllr Cashman as he meets the ECHO in Williamson Square.
“I think, judging from the response I’ve had when speaking about this, a lot of people feel the same – that it’s sad to see the state of a square that has so much potential.”
Speaking about what Williamson Square could be, he adds: “This has got the potential to be one of those iconic European squares you might see in Rome or Venice. You could have people sat outside, lovely restaurants – it feels like there hasn’t been much thought put into this area.”
Speaking of his own memories of the fountain, the young party leader says he was finishing school when it was installed and operational. “I think I was too cool to go in it back in the day,” he adds. “But I always remember people saying how much they loved this area back then.”
“This and the city’s feeling back then was so positive and upbeat and I think bringing the fountain back would do a lot for the city’s positivity.”
He says he has received a huge response to his recent campaign videos. “I got a message from a French lady who lives in France with her husband, who is a Scouser. She messaged to say he was made up that someone is doing something about it. People really care about this.”
Two people with happy memories of Williamson Square are friends Hazel Wooley and Debbie Jones, who are sitting on a bench enjoying a coffee – something they have done for years.
Debbie says she fondly recalls the fountain in its heyday. “I remember it being on, the kids loved running in and out of the water.”
“We have been coming here for years,” she adds. “It would be good to see an improvement to the square. We go in the pubs here, there is usually a bit of music. It would be nice to see the fountain come back.”
Another man sat nearby, who asked not to be named, said: “The kids loved it, running in and out.
“Last time I was here a few weeks ago there was half a dozen fellas in yellow coats doing some work on it. So it looks like something is happening.
“The fountain would bring something nice I imagine. When it used to be on, the kids loved it. There’s a lot of people who come through here.”
The thought is that bringing the fountains back to life would be a first important step in a wider vision to revitalise this historic city centre square.
In 2024, a stakeholder group was formed to look at the longer-term future of the square. This team has been looking at funding streams, development opportunities and ways to animate and activate a space that Scousers should be proud of.
An initial study stated a desire for Williamson Square to become Liverpool’s “civic and performative space,” yet revealed, correctly, that the public’s current perception is that it “lacks destination” and is “poor quality.”
Bill Addy hopes that turning the fountain back on will be the first step towards changing this perception.
“We want to see animation in Williamson Square and one of the simplest ways to do that is to bring the fountain back into use,” he explains. “Then we can look at the wider opportunities for redeveloping the buildings around the square and other things we can do.
“This is one of the original 18th century squares in the city so we should recognise that. We want people to be proud of it.”
