New retail strategy for Liverpool
LIVERPOOL needs to improve both the branding and management of its retail core and focus future development on the northern and eastern fringes of its city centre.
The recommendations are made in a new strategy document commissioned from consultants Drivers Jonas Deloitte (DJD) covering the city’s main retail areas.
The document has been produced to help guide the development of Liverpool’s retail offer over the next 15 years and it covers an area including Grosvenor’s landmark Liverpool ONE scheme, Whitechapel, Metquarter, Cavern Quarter, Williamson Square, St John’s Centre, Clayton Square and the Bold Street area as well as the Renshaw Street/Lime Street corridor.
It suggests that the city could benefit from public realm and pedestrian access improvements, and that a key feature of future development would be for retail schemes to act as a hub to connect other parts of the city – most notably the Knowledge Quarter area near the university.
The strategy also recommends the promotion of more independent stores and the reduction of traffic on key footfall routes such as the foot of Bold Street.
The report highlights the role that Merepark’s £200m leisure-led Central Village scheme will play both in improving the Cavern Quarter and in improving the city’s night-time economy.
A public-private partnership comprising members of Liverpool City Council, Liverpool Vision, the City Central BID, Grosvenor, Land Securities and Merseytravel will have responsibility for delivering the outcomes of the strategy.
The report points out that Grosvenor’s Liverpool ONE scheme has helped the city to climb ten places in Experian’s national league of shopping destinations – from 15th to fifth. It has also brought in 60 new retailers to the city.
Cllr Malcolm Kennedy of Liverpool City Council said : “The work undertaken by Drivers Jonas Deloitte is a very important component of our strategy for the economic growth of Liverpool city centre over the next 10-15 years.
“It is vital that we build on the successes of the past 10 years and that the public and private sector partners responsible for this strategy continue to work together to deliver the recommended actions.
“One of our main priorities in the short term will be to work with the smaller independent businesses in areas like Bold Street, Lime Street and Renshaw Street to help them deliver their plans.”
Ged Gibbons, chief executive of City Central BID, said: “Liverpool has benefited greatly from the planning it laid down to deliver all its successes over the past decade and the timing is perfect for us all to now focus on where we want to be as a retail destination in the next 10 years.
“Liverpool ONE has bedded in nicely and with Central Village now on site we need a long-term vision which we can all work to maximise the city centre’s potential.”
