The Town-class light cruisers were designed as counters to the Japanese s built during the early 1930s and the second batch of three ships was enlarged, with the most powerful engines and widest beam of any post 1927 Royal Navy cruisers, to maintain speed and stability with the weight of, a second low angle main director (2) T284 LADCT, to give two channel fire control of the six inch turrets enabling, simultaneous engagement with surface targets fore and aft of the cruisers and to give a second level of deck armour over the top of the armour box around the four main magazines (In HMS Gloucester and the third 'Belfast' group, the extra deck armour belt also extended further over the engines). "Liverpool" displaced at standard load and at deep load. The ship had an overall length of , a beam of and a draught of . She was powered by four Parsons geared steam turbine sets, each driving one shaft, which developed a total of and gave a maximum speed of . "Liverpool" also mounted a catapult with three Supermarine Walrus. Steam for the turbines was provided by four Admiralty 3-drum boilers. The ship carried a maximum of of fuel oil which gave her a range of at . The ship's complement was 800–850 officers and ratings.