It has been 10 years since the company unveiled its plans for Liverpool Waters and it is looking to allay growing scepticism over delivery with a major push this year. Tony McDonough reports.

Property giant Peel has released eight new plots in the Central Docks section of its £5bn Liverpool Waters project to potential investors.

At the MIPIM property and investment expo in Cannes Peel claimed the eight plots were already attracting interest from investors and developers, with several parties visiting Liverpool to see the opportunities on offer first hand.

It says the Central Docks neighbourhood will be a “world class business and leisure district”, with more than 2m sq ft of mixed use floorspace including 750,000 sq ft of office space and over 1,000 new waterfront apartments in buildings up to 44 storeys high.

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All of these new spaces will benefit from a 17-acre public park and views overlooking the River Mersey and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

Peel first unveiled its Liverpool Waters plan 10 years ago and, while the images generated a great deal of public excitement, there has been more scepticism in recent years at the lack of delivery.

However, the director of development of Liverpool Waters Lindsey Ashworth, insists that by the end of this year £300m worth of construction work will have started in the Princes Dock section of the scheme.

That work will include at at least two residential towers, one 34 storeys high, and the new cruise liner terminal. Peel also has planning permission for an office block – William Jessop House – at the site although there are no signs of work starting on that yet.

Speaking on the French Riviera, Mr Ashworth added: “Liverpool Waters is a unique opportunity to invest in a world-famous waterfront and it’s no surprise that this latest phase of the project has already generated interest from investors and developers.

“Our ambition has always been to create a waterfront for the world, a sustainable environment with stunning views where people and businesses can flourish together.

“Unveiling this southern part of the Central Docks neighbourhood marks the next chapter in the Liverpool Waters story and brings us one step closer to re-establishing Liverpool’s waterfront as a gateway to the world.”