£2bn masterplan announced in Liverpool

Liverpool City Council has announced it is to develop a masterplan to deliver the regeneration of the gateway site to a £2bn regeneration scheme.

The council is advertising a contract to procure the services of an experienced planning company to independently produce a Spatial Regeneration Framework for the Knowledge Quarter Gateway (KQG) which will look at connecting the city centre to the scheme with a focus on redeveloping Lime Street area around the Adelphi Hotel.

KQG, which includes Lime Street and Central train stations, is to many the first impression of the larger Knowledge Quarter (KQ Liverpool) Mayoral Development Zone.

Key to the report will be dovetailing the proposals from Liverpool John Moores University on its Copperas Hill site, plans for the Fabric District, Merseytravel’s plans for Central Station and various private sector schemes.

Liverpool City Council has also set out an ambition to redevelop the Mount Pleasant Car Park area to create an international standard gateway for KQ Liverpool which currently employs 7% of the city’s workforce.

The gateway report will also complement the wider regeneration schemes on Lime Street, including the creation of new public realm of front of Lime Street station and an extended plateau in front of St George’s Hall.

Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson said:  “Liverpool’s Knowledge Quarter is redefining this city’s economy but what is most exciting is its fantastic potential for growth over the coming decade to become a world leading economic engine.

“The gateway area is the final piece in the jigsaw that will connect the site to the rest of the city centre and complete the wider regeneration of Lime Street. Its impact cannot be underestimated and I look forward to seeing the proposals take shape over the coming year.

Colin Sinclair, Chief Executive of KQ Liverpool, said: “The phenomenal growth of KQ Liverpool, along with the ongoing regeneration of Lime Street, has shone the spotlight on KQ Gateway. It represents one of the greatest development opportunities in the UK and, along Paddington Village, will have a major impact on the city’s economy, creating thousands of jobs, in science, tech, health, education, retail and leisure.

“The SRF will truly allow us to plan a world-class development, enabling Liverpool to compete with any city in Europe.”

The key planning issues within the area are identified in the emerging Local Plan for Liverpool and include:

• Increasing the economic potential of KQ Liverpool and attracting and retaining high growth businesses and research grants;
• Supporting and enhancing the retail function of the London Road Shopping Area;
• Supporting the regeneration of the London Road Area and Islington for uses that support KQ Liverpool and deliver Islington Regeneration Company’s vision for the area;
• The appropriateness of the area for purpose-built student accommodation;
• Improving public realm, connectivity and green infrastructure across the area; and
• Bringing under-utilised and vacant land/buildings back into productive use.

The council, which is currently developing the £1bn Paddington Village scheme in the heart of the development zone, hopes to have the final report on the gateway area, which covers more than 56 acres within the city centre, by Spring 2019.

Once approved by the council’s cabinet it will be adopted as a Spatial Planning Document to guide all future planning applications in the area and provide developers with detailed information of design and build issues including heights of buildings.