Liverpool City Council is looking to set out ‘bold’ proposals for the ongoing development of the city’s waterfront in the next 20 to 30 years – and is asking the public for its views. Tony McDonough reports

Liverpool City Council has launched an eight-week consultation on development of the city’s world famous waterfront over the next 20 to 30 years.

With the city now free from the shackles of UNESCO’s World Heritage Status, the council is able to formulate its own plan of how it wants the waterfront to continue to grow while still preserving the character that has made it such a popular attraction.

It has appointed urban design and landscape architecture firm, West 8, together with BDP, to develop an “ambitious and visionary” plan that sets a benchmark for waterfront regeneration in Europe.

Now the public are being asked to provide feedback on a draft waterfront vision and Supplementary Planning Document (SPD). This seeks to create a “more inclusive, accessible and thriving waterfront”. The vision is underpinned by three core principles:

• Connected – Reconnecting neighbourhoods to the Mersey, ensuring everyone can access and enjoy the waterfront.
• Free and Green – Prioritising free-to-access public space and green infrastructure to support climate resilience.
• Growth – Supporting high-quality, heritage-sensitive development that creates places to live, work and play and benefits the whole city.

A key focus is to improve connectivity and linkages and create new public realm with an emphasis on quality of place. The vision will also address conservation and enhancement of the natural and historic environment, as well as climate change and net zero.

This draft SPD will translate the vision into planning guidance, design principles and development parameters covering such matters as movement, active travel, green and grey infrastructure, identity and character of different areas along Liverpool’s waterfront.

Once adopted, the SPD will be a material consideration in the determination of planning applications and will guide public and private investment.

Draft plans have been informed by meaningful engagement with Liverpool’s communities, residents, and businesses and key stakeholders.

They include Liverpool BID Company, Grosvenor, Tate Liverpool, and major land-owners such as Peel Land and Property, National Museum Liverpool, the Canal and River Trust, General Projects, and Liverpool Yacht Club.

The council will be inviting key stakeholders and the public to an engagement event on Monday, July 7, at Liverpool Town Hall.

A copy of all consultation documents will be available to view during normal working hours at the following locations: Cunard Building, Brunswick Street, Liverpool, L3 1AH and Liverpool Central Library, William Brown Street, Liverpool, L3 8EW.

They can also be downloaded by clicking here. Feedback can be provided by email at: planning.engagement@liverpool.gov.uk or people can write to: Liverpool City Council , Planning Policy Team, Cunard Building, Water Street, Liverpool, L3 1AH.

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Council leader Liam Robinson said: ““Liverpool is blessed to have one of the world’s most iconic waterfronts and it’s our duty to ensure its future development befits that status.

“Our vision for the riverfront is to honour its heritage whilst embracing innovation. This plan should be both a celebration of our rich maritime history and a blueprint for embracing its potential, helping to grow communities and create new jobs.”