Liverpool City Region: Influence of heritage lobby questioned
THE role of the heritage lobby in Liverpool and its potential to delay, or even scupper the Liverpool Waters regeneration scheme was a key topic in a debate on the city region’s economy.
A roundtable discussion, sponsored by Santander Corporate Banking and law firm DWF, heard a range of opinions on the matter from the panel.
Some felt the heritage lobby in the city was too powerful, with DWF’s executive partner in Liverpool Andy Green stating: “The best thing that could happen is for the city to lose its World Heritage Site designation.”
The leader of business lobbying organisation Downtown Liverpool in Business, Frank McKenna said he feared there was a chance developer Peel could walk away from the scheme is English Heritage succeed in forcing a lengthy and costly public inquiry.
“Peel can take their money elsewhere. To have them as partners is fantastic but unless we can find a way through these planning challenges then why wouldn’t they go elsewhere?”
But Simon Bedford of property advisers Driver Jonas Deloitte sounded a note of caution: “We need to be careful. This city is famous for its architecture as much as anything else – old and new. There has to be a compromise along the way but Peel’s challenge is to deliver world class architecture along the waterfront.”
To read more of the debate click here to download our Liverpool City Region economic review.
