Pier Head Area

[Kev]

The new Museum of Liverpool is to receive £5m in European aid.

Work on the museum to replace the Museum of Liverpool life, is expected to be completed in 2008.

The Merseyside Objective One award for the £31m Pier Head construction project follows £26.8m from the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWRDA).

The European grant was welcomed by Culture Minister David Lammy who said it would help provide a "fitting showcase" for the city.

The new X-shaped building at the Mann Island site will provide more exhibition space.

Planned exhibits will include a 19th Century locomotive that ran on England's first passenger railway line between Liverpool and Manchester.

[Kev]

A £6M plan to transform land at Pier Head into a world-class square is expected to be approved next week.

Plans were drawn up to make the area around British Waterways' canal extension a visitor attraction in its own right, as part of the multi-million pound redevelopment.

New features will include seating walls within the basin areas with access to the canal side, a raised central lawn in front of the Cunard Building and a double avenue of trees.

New lighting and steps up to major statues will also be installed.

It emerged last month that the waterfront canal could be re-routed at the last minute, leading to West Waterloo dock being filled in, despite the plans being drawn up two years ago.

British Waterways wants to change the route to improve the appearance.

Work will be carried out in two stages with land by the canal basin starting early next year and contracts going out for the rest next month.

Cllr Mike Storey said: "The Pier Head should be the focal point of a lot of activities but for much of the time it is deserted.

"British Waterways' canal scheme and all the other development taking place there offer a great opportunity to bring life and animation to it.

"We are aiming to make it an attractive and welcoming area which will bring in a lot of visitors to the city."

The project is being funded by the North West Development Agency and the European Regional Development Fund.

[Waterways]

A £6M plan to transform land at Pier Head into a world-class square is expected to be approved next week.

Plans were drawn up to make the area around British Waterways' canal extension a visitor attraction in its own right, as part of the multi-million pound redevelopment.

New features will include seating walls within the basin areas with access to the canal side, a raised central lawn in front of the Cunard Building and a double avenue of trees.

New lighting and steps up to major statues will also be installed.

It emerged last month that the waterfront canal could be re-routed at the last minute, leading to West Waterloo dock being filled in, despite the plans being drawn up two years ago.

Does anyone have the planning submission number?

I advise all to write letters into the planning Dept opposing filling in West Waterloo Dock. These people hold Liverpool's history and heritage in contempt. These people are playing on the time factor that is clear – they are underhanded. They know Liverpool wants this canal link by 2008, so at the 11th hour throw in that a historic dock be filled in as a part of their scheme, knowing that the city will be pushed to say yes just to get something done in time. If it is rejected then more time and maybe nothing complete by 2008.

It would rather the whole scheme was rejected - I am not keen on the whole idea anyway. British Waterways looks after canals, that is their mentality, so they want to fill in docks and build a canal for bearded Little Middle England real ale drinkers in narrow boats. Does that reflect our deep sea maritime history? Canal boats?

.

[Waterways]

All of this stinks. The closing date to object to the filling in of West Waterloo Dock is the 14th June. The date has gone. Yet the Echo reported the proposal to fill in the dock after the 14th June.

The Planning Department said it is worth sending a letter of objectiion even though the date has passed.

Details:

Proposal Number:
06F/1421

Jon Woodward
Planning Department
Liverpool City Council
Municiple Buildings
Dale Street
L69 2DH

I advise all to make an objection by letter or email ASAP to the filling in of West Waterloo Dock

Email for objection:
jon.woodward@liverpool.gov.uk

Some point for objection. I'm sure you can think of more:

1. West Waterloo dock is historic nearly 200 years old, dating from 1834.
2. The historic dock is a part of the rich heritage of Liverpool
3. The dock forms a water environment for the flats between West Waterloo Dock and East Waterloo Dock. The residents bought those flats because of the water environment the locale offered. This will be obliterated.
4. Filling in of the dock further “obliterates the City On The Water”, which the city was promised the redundant docks would be, transforming the city to world renowned Amsterdam or Hamburg.
5. Dock being filled in as a convenient dump for waste material for the canal developer.
6. Filling in the dock degrades the water based environment of the area for future developments.

[Paul D]

I'm really keen to see this built and that's starting to look more and more likely now,Liverpool needs more modern buildings like this.

[FKoE]

Vauxhall ... my family landed there in 1841....,me ald fella was born in 1930in court off Scottie, he lived in a cellar on Epsom st one of 12 children, me Granma and Granddad died on Commercial rd........... after Hitler and the post war government demolished the slums...... and youse talk of historical significance of a redundant dock........ my god gang, get your priorities sorted here... who will this benefit, skyscrapers for those with the money ?, we seen what happened to the say the highrises.. turned into luxury flats, WTF ... Waterways lad, have you invested in property mate, and when was the last time you was in the town?

Seriously, what is the agenda here?, at whose expense is it at, and whose heritage ... ?

[Waterways]

Vauxhall ... my family landed there in 1841....,me ald fella was born in 1930in court off Scottie, he lived in a cellar on Epsom st one of 12 children, me Granma and Granddad died on Commercial rd........... after Hitler and the post war government demolished the slums.

I was born in the cellar of a condemned house near Brunswick Dock. The above is pointless.

..... and youse talk of historical significance of a redundant dock........ my god gang, get your priorities sorted here... who will this benefit, skyscrapers for those with the money ?, we seen what happened to the say the highrises.. turned into luxury flats, WTF ... Waterways lad, have you invested in property mate, and when was the last time you was in the town?

Seriously, what is the agenda here?, at whose expense is it at, and whose heritage ... ?

It is clear you hate the middle classes for having money and being able to build high quality high rises and improving the city. You will not be satisfied until of Liverpool is a huge vandalised council estate full of Philistines.

As for the significance of redundant docks, read my posts on them. Here is a cut for you…


The waterways and docks should be left alone and any in-filled docks excavated. Harrington, Toxteth, Victoria, Trafalgar and Clarence Docks can all be easily excavated and the water and quays reinstated as they are still there. Parts of the Heculanuem can also be excavated too. It is criminal what has been done to the dock waterways. Many were laid down in the 1700s – historic to say the least - and now have car parks on them.

The pyramids served no useful purpose – although the Great Pyramid is said to be a large ram-pump. Raising millions of gallons of water from a now dried up lake. Not 100% proven though. The other pyramids were just tombs – gravestones.

Also the pyramids were just large, well, err, pyramids in shape. The Great Wall of China was a defence mechanism. The Liverpool dock waterways is a highly useful construction that created wealth and advancement.

In construction terms and size Liverpool docks (and Birkenhead Docks – let’s not forget them) is equal to these ancient structure. Apart from the Herculaneum and Stanley Docks, all were built out into the river on wooden piles and granite rock from a special quarry in Scotland owned by MDHB, for the sea walls and quays. Liverpool docks were the first and only large scale interconnected dock waterway system in the world. Ships could travel 5 miles within the dock complex without entering the tidal river.

It was the key to the industrial revolution – without the docks raw materials and finished goods could not be efficiently handled into and out of the country. Liverpool made Manchester and all the other industrial towns – without the efficient deep water Liverpool docks these places would still be villages.

The steam engine made the docks into a giant complex. The engines pumped water in and out of locks and impounded the docks when high tide levels were low.

The Docks were key in peopling America as ¾ of all immigrants that went to the North America went via the Liverpool Docks. Even the Landing stage was the world largest floating structure. The docks were key in people migration in world history.

Few appreciate these points – and sadly few in Liverpool as well. We have something equivalent to the pyramids but fail to realise it and treat the waterways with contempt.

[bazzacat]

I always think of the millions of emigrants who passed through Liverpool when near the river , it really is quite a remarkable and significant part of world history. Liverpool should be flooded with US and Canadian tourists looking at where their ancestors sailed from. Elements of my own family arrived here from Ireland. The river IS EVERYTHING to the city, and I do think it would be marvellous to shift some gravity towards the waterfront, and preserve the water elements, partially as a memorial to all those who passed through.

[Waterways]

I always think of the millions of emigrants who passed through Liverpool when near the river , it really is quite a remarkable and significant part of world history. Liverpool should be flooded with US and Canadian tourists looking at where their ancestors sailed from. Elements of my own family arrived here from Ireland. The river IS EVERYTHING to the city, and I do think it would be marvellous to shift some gravity towards the waterfront, and preserve the water elements, partially as a memorial to all those who passed through.

Great Post!!!!

[bazzacat]

The river is everything to the region, dilapidated docks are'nt.

Agreed. But no one lives in the docks now anyhow, how about a mix of housing for all sorts? People that buy apartments arent all millionaires

[victorialush]

Off Subject:

Waterways, you aren't Scouse if you think the term is derogatory. No true Scouser would ever be ashamed to call themselves this.
Would you mind explaining to me why you think this?

[Paul D]

The new museum and canal link are going to bring this area back to life and I can't wait for it personally.I was happy to see the canal link finally getting under way at the weekend and hopefully the new museum will start in October as predicted.

[Terry]

Well i love the paving,steps & surrounding areas,but sorry folks i think the building looks totally hideous & out of keeping with the rest of the area.I realise we are now in the 21st century & things cannot stand still,but this!!!.
Im with Lindy lou on this one.I like the look of everything else mind you & i think it would be a real asset to have a canal running through there as there is definatly a rennaisance currently with respect to canals across the country as people are seeing the potential benefits both socially & enviromentally.
I hope you will take my comments with a pinch of salt particularly as iam not from your neck of the woods but i would rather give you my honest opinion (for what its worth) i just hope this isnt the final design,although i'm sure it will have its fans,but i wouldn't be a fan of it.
Hope i havn't muddied the waters too much folks.

[lindylou]

Yes, I still say it looks like the Showcase cinema on a retail park
but as Terry says, the paving and steps look nice.

Hoping it will look much better in the flesh so to speak.

[richie1878]

I'm still split on this one, I truely hated it at first, probably because it was in the back of my mind what might have been (just commented on this one in a different thread) the Foster designed 'forth grace'. But I'm sort of coming round to the idea, maybe it could be our version of the Sydney Opera House, maybe I'm going mad?