This new Application to fill in West Waterloo Dock is almost identical to the previous Application of 06F/1421 with slightly different wording.
This area areound Waterloo Dock is now heavily populated with residential buildings, offices, hotels and the coming cruise liner terminal. There is filling in OF THE WORLD HERITAGE SITE, Princes Half Tide Dock. The infilled Trafalgar Dock is dumping ground for building materials.
People within the Waterloo Dock Development have had a number of health problems due the very high dust and sand levels in the area.
I wonder if Mr Whitaker of Peel would consider back filling his water spaces at Salford Quays in his home city of Manchester which is not part of a World Heritage Site, so must be easier. Peel hold Liverpool with total contempt and only value the docks as a means of creating land to make a killing.
I'm sure Peel will come back with the same reasons for not back filling Salford Quays that they give for destroying Liverpool Docks.
The City Planning Department granted planning permission for the "back filling" of Princes Half Tide Dock (ref: 05F/2104), which is clearly a part of Liverpool's World Heritage Site. The dock is being filled in right now. The planning application was worded as if is was required for the new Canal Way. British Waterways confirmed that vessels passing through Princes Half Tide would not necessarily need a 'two meter depth'. This means no depth at all. The World Heritage site, Princes Half Tide Dock is being used as a convenient dumping ground for waste materials from the Grosvenor retail project. Would UNESCO allow the dumping of waste materials in and around the Pyramids of Egypt or the Great Wall of China ?
The other issue with the filling of Princes Half Tide Dock is that there has been no consideration given to the marine life all of which are now dead.
World Heritage Site Plan which Liverpool City Council, MDHC and UNESCO all signed, it states that:
4.17.4 Docks with standing water in the site and Buffer Zone support a range of marine life and habitats. Of particular note are the colonies of marine life attached to the dock walls and other structures. In the Mersey itself, these colonies tend not to have become established as the high silt load of the river suffocates the organisms. The docks are therefore an important habitat.
The Princes half tide Dock approved application has raised concern.
British Waterways have made the planning application to fill in West Waterloo Dock, it is clear that MDHC/Peel Holdings are pulling the strings. The proposal has very little to do with British Waterways and the canal link. This is a land reclamation by stealth strategy driven my MDHC.
The World Heritage Site Plan has West Waterloo Dock between the buffer Zone. They described it:
[I]2.1.13 "The Buffer Zone has been developed to ensure that future development in the setting of the nominated site respects the values of the nominated site. The boundaries of the buffer zone have been confirmed through a process of stakeholder consultation, during the ongoing production of this World Heritage Site Management Plan."
2.5 PROTECTIVE MEASURES AND MEANS OF IMPLEMENTING THEM
2.5.1 " The significance of the site's built heritage, including its proposed buffer zone, is safeguarded through a Range of protective measures provided under established planning legislation, policies and practice. Planning issues in respect of new buildings, changes of use of existing buildings and land and alterations to and management of existing buildings in England are controlled by the English system of land-use planning. The current principal statues are the Planning Act 1990 and the Planning (listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990,"
2.5.9 policy ER3 - Built Heritage states that: "Planning authorities and other agencies in their plans, policies and proposals will identify, protect, conserve and, where appropriate, enhance the built heritage of the region"
2.5.12 "Liverpool City Council is required by the Local Government Act 1985 to prepare a Development Plan for the whole of its area to guide development and to protect and enhance the environment of the City. The Plan comprises a comprehensive written statement, supported by a map, which spells out the Council's proposals for land-use and development in the future. Following extensive public consultation, a modified Deposit draft of the Liverpool Unitary Development plan (UDP) was produced in November 200. The UDP has now been formally adopted and is the Development Plan for the nominated World Heritage Site."
2.5.23 In accordance with Paragraph 17 of the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention UNESCO 1999, A Buffer Zone has been developed to help to ensure that future development in the setting of the Nominated Site. The boundaries of the proposed Buffer Zone will be confirmed through a process of stakeholder consultation, during the ongoing production of the World Heritage Site Management Plan."
Other than the obvious negative effects it will have on the Marine Life and environment as I've already mentioned above, "The World Heritage Plan" also states the importance of keeping the current dock system within the Heritage and buffer sites. Statements as follows :-
4.6.16 Many of the former docks survive to the form of now redundant water bodies. These are an important aspect of the Site's significance and character and their conservation and use requires consideration within future sustainable regeneration schemes. Currently, many water bodies are used for limited recreational/leisure purposes and this is likely to provide a long-term and sustainable use for them. The ownership and primary management long-term and sustainable use for them. The ownership and primary management responsibilities for most of the water bodies south of the pier head were transferred from English Partnerships to British Waterways in mid-2003. British Waterways are now developing a management regime for their water bodies. It is essential that this regime is developed in consultation with all relevant stakeholders to ensure that the docks are properly preserved and enhanced and the potential that is embodied within them is maximised. Most of the water bodies north of the Pier Head are owned by MDHC, and proposals for developing most of them for leisure are being developed."
4.8.4 Appropriateness of new development " Key to conserving the significance of the site is ensuring that all new developments are appropriate in terms of their location and design"
4.10.5 Alterations or enhancement of existing developments "In general terms, any alterations to existing structures within Liverpool's historic centre pose a potential threat to the city's archaeological resource. The most obvious threat to the archaeological resource comes from ground works associated with alterations or refurbishment, such as building extensions, underpinning, and internal works such as the .....This applies not only to buildings but also to other facilities, in particular the surviving historic docks, where developments have the potential to impact upon the buried remains of earlier docks, demolished dockyard buildings and deposits pre-dating the establishment of the dock system."
4.15.4 Recognition of the boundary "If the outstanding universal value of the WHS are to be appropriately protected and enhanced then the boundary must be recognised by all agencies involved in the Site's management."[/u]
Trafalgar Dock is also within the World Heritage site, which will remain filled in. Trafalgar Dock is being used to manage waste materials from the Grosvenor project.
What is happening in Central Docks is totally out of kilter with Liverpool's requirements and commitments as a World Heritage city. The ONLY people who are going to benefit from the infilling of this Historic dock is Peel Holdings, as the new land would be reportedly worth approximately £4,000,000.
The losers in this will be:
1. The Marine life. This will be killed off during the filling process.
2. Bird life. Habitats of Swans and Geese which have made homes in trees and bushes at West Waterloo Dock.
3. The people of Liverpool. Denied acess to water that they couold live and play around.
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4. The World. The world will be the losers, as the historic West Waterloo Dock along with its historic granite dock walls will be lost forever covered with tatty apartments. 100,000s of immigrants left these quays to populate the free world.
Just imagine if Liverpool would have filled in the Albert Dock in 1984!
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