The lost Waterspaces of Liverpool

Below: The south end Docks. Over half the water spaces are gone - outlined in red.

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/watercity...d-Infilled.jpg

Below: Central Docks. About a third are gone with three docks to the right reduced to canal boat depths only. No deep water ships can berth there anymore. Only the docks to the left of picture can accomodate deep water vessels: Bramley Moor, Nelson, Salisbury (a small transit dock), Collingwood, Stanley and Clarence Graving Docks. From the outleined infilled docks to the Liver Buildings, to the right, no large vessels can berth anymore.

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/watercity...cks-Infill.jpg

My ballpark estimation, without all the data, is that Liverpool and the Wirral so far have lost more water space that what there is in Venice.

Thanks Waterways, I did some comparative research based on OS surveys and didn't want to believe so much of it had gone.

What were the reasons given? Was there some idea that some of theses docks were only 'temporarily' filled-in?

What responses have you had from the Council/agencies etc for your campaign?

Oh, and it goes without saying that I'll happily sign-up to it...I have a vision for the waterfront which involves MORE soddin water (in the form of new canalisation of streets such as the Vulcans and Lucanias, going further north and inland) rather than less..

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Originally Posted by The Teardrop Explodes

Thanks Waterways, I did some comparative research based on OS surveys and didn't want to believe so much of it had gone.

What were the reasons given? Was there some idea that some of theses docks were only 'temporarily' filled-in?

What responses have you had from the Council/agencies etc for your campaign?

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I have been contacted and had contact with a number of politicos of all colours. The most active and are more in line with my views are the Labour people. The ruling LibDems are luke-warm. Tories only on the Wirral.

What stood out was the naivety of many of them - some were honest about it too. I "think" the ruling LibDems want the docks to make money - put commercial activities there. This is naive to say the least when the people can live around the water spaces and the commercial activities on the many Brownfield site on the land side of the Dock Rd. The biggest mistake is that King Dock stadium. We need the facilities, but they could have gone 400 yards away on the quays of the Queens Dock and the original Kings Dock branches built upon, as per Hamburg.

At Kings Dock the punters are bussed in and out - some water based city. The manager of the arena is complaining he only has space for a few chara-bancs to park up. That says it all.

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Oh, and it goes without saying that I'll happily sign-up to it...I have a vision for the waterfront which involves MORE soddin water (in the form of new canalisation of streets such as the Vulcans and Lucanias, going further north and inland) rather than less..

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Excavating most of the docks is quite easy. And running in canals and basins at the end around the Central Dock is quite easy in parts. A canal could have easily been run in from Salthouse Dock too.

The main problem is no overall plan for the docks - no end vision. This was picked up by UNESCO in their recent visit and this lack of direction and vision creates many problems. There is no joined up thinking either. Everything is limited to a particular location in scope and thinking (e.g., Kings Dock) and everything outside is ignored. Little is meshed in. Many politicos never even knew there was no overall plan/vision/direction document. Many never even knew what the likes of Hamburg was doing or that in Holland and Belgium they excavating in-filled water spaces.

The way the whole shebang was been handled over the years is a total disgrace. Much of the mistakes can be reversed - firstly be reclaiming the water spaces and secondly, ensuring the water spaces are given over to primarily people who will make the water space vibrant. The water space should be the prime attraction of the city. By not doing so we empty both barrels into our feet.

You won't be seeing pics like this around the Princes Dock area since it's been filled in. The Canada Geese and Cormorants have fled (flew?:)) .:PDT_Xtremez_12:
http://www.liverpoolpictorial.co.uk/goosed/image001.jpg