It’s been a while since putting virtual pen to paper and of course I’ve finally left exile in dat der London and moved back to Liverpool. I’m still working a couple of days a week down in the capital so plenty of Virgin train miles being clocked up for the next few weeks.
There are some exciting things happening up here at the moment and it’s those that I’ve decided to comment on in what I hope will be a more regular blog this year.
Firstly is the ongoing saga of Liverpool Waters - www.liverpoolwaters.co.uk - a massive redevelopment of the central docks area between the Pier Head and Huskisson Dock. Since these docks were effectively (and physically in some cases) closed to shipping they have been largely abandoned and left to rot. And ever since Peel Holdings, owner of this land, as well as the rest of the operational Port of Liverpool www.merseydocks.co.uk, put forward this redevelopment plan it has been subject to countless revisions. The latest setback is the verdict of UNESCO who want more changes less it comprises Liverpool’s World Heritage Site (WHS) status. The WHS badge is important but it cannot be used as a barrier to progress. One of the highlights of the WHS is the trio of buildings (Royal Liver, Port of Liverpool and Cunard Buildings) at the waterfront, but it’s worth realising that these buildings wouldn’t exist if the city had been awarded WHS 100 years ago, and it’s exactly this Liverpool tradition of reinventing itself in pursuit of commercial gain that UNESCO, and various campaigners, are trying to stifle. Nobody is suggesting that any new building will interfere with these jewels of our heritage, and the important buildings within the Liverpool Waters site will be kept and enhanced, it’s the wastelands around them that Peel wish to put back to use and we should support this.
Now I have divided opinions about Peel, and wish they’d do more doing and less talking about their projects. For instance the Seaforth River Terminal http://www.peel.co.uk/projects/seaforthinriverterminal should have been operational by now, yet construction has still not started; however they have delivered in other areas, notably Media City and the Salford Quays developments, and more importantly they are big hitters in regeneration and therefore we need them as much as they need our land.
Some vested interests are complaining about the plans on the table, and whilst not all of the plans appeal to me either, what is the alternative? Yes I’d love to see these docks still full of ships, but that’s firmly in the past now. There is some scope to have modern larger ships berthing at tidal river quays, and some of the current dockland would be needed to support this, namely the proposed cruise terminal, but that still leaves an awful lot of land. We need something special to lure commercial and residential tenants to these areas, supported by a world class transport and communications network. After living in London for 20 years, I have seen the way Canary Wharf has grown spectacularly and what a pleasant place it is to work and live, and that’s exactly what I want to see on the banks of the Mersey – only better of course!
Another development which has emerged over the last few days is a deal thrashed out with the government by the leader of Liverpool City Council, Joe Anderson, which would see the city bypass the planned referendum on an elected Mayor and go straight to the election for one. I totally support this. Elected Mayors of various cities around the world are seen as a powerful force to ‘sell’ their city to investors, and despite the negative press that Liverpool still gets in this country, it has a huge international reputation, especially in the vitally important countries of China and Brazil. This deal means we would get a good 12 month head start ahead of the other key cities planning to have Mayors. The sooner we grab this opportunity and get our new Mayor working night and day to secure the rebirth of our city the better.
The last thing I want to spout off about today is the news that the Dept of Transport has again delayed the decision on allowing the City of Liverpool Cruise Terminal (CLCT) to be used as a turnaround facility (the original grant to build it was given for use as a berth for day calls by visiting ships rather than as a starting point for cruises). The City Council has offered to pay back some of this grant, but other ports including Southampton are calling on a full refund to be made. Having cruised out of Southampton I have seen how big an operation turning a modern cruise ship around is, and to be honest, although the CLCT is in a fabulous location, I can’t see how it would be able to accommodate this. The floating stage would need to be bigger, and able to handle lorries, a terminal building would need to be built on one of the vacant plots of land at Princes Dock, and a large parking facility would have to be provided. Even then we would only end up with one berth for one ship at a time. A better idea in my mind would be to pay back nothing, keep the CLCT as a calling point and for Peel (yes them again) to bring forward their cruise terminal plans and get it built, a floating stage off the old Waterloo Dock with a terminal built on the former river entrance there would still be close to the Pier Head and would have more room for the necessary support services
So there you go, plenty of big things on the horizon. They need to happen. It’s the job of everyone in this city to make sure they do.
