Pier Head Area

[Kev]

Did anyone else notice the lack of media coverage of this on the news?

[Kev]

Interesting:

THE new museum will provide 5,000 square metres of exhibition space with regularly changing exhibitions.

It will be divided into four sections - Port City,, Global City, My Liverpool and Expressive City.

The main gallery will explore stories about the people living and working underneath the rails of the Overhead Railway and will feature an original third class Overhead Railway carriage, suspended above the gallery at its working height.

Also located on the ground floor will be the 200-capacity Liverpool Theatre showcasing productions by local film makers, writers and artists.

Plans for the first floor include the History Hub, a resource centre housing more than 10,000 objects from the NML collections.

On the second floor, in the People's City gallery the centrepiece will be the model of the proposed Liverpool Catholic Cathedral by architect Edwin Lutyens which was never built.

The city's footballing history will also get its own exhibition.

Also....feature the famous Lion steam locomotive as its centrepiece. The Lion is famous for being the last surviving steam locomotive which followed the success of The Rocket on the Liverpool to Manchester line.

What happens next

APRIL: An application to the Treasury will be made asking for permission for NML to accept the NWDA grant. It is a rubber stamping procedure.

MAY: Public sector funding of £7.5m from the European Regional Development Fund has been reserved for the project but NML must now go back to ask for the decision to be confirmed.

JUNE: A second bid for the £11.4m (15% of the overall project) will be submitted to the HLF in July but a decision will not be made until next January.

SEPTEMBER: Building work starts on the Mann Island Site.

[Paul D]

I made up we've got the funding sorted which will build the exterior of the building and the lottery money we are reapplying for will fit it out,so hopefully we wont have a problem getting the heritage lottery fund this time now the NWDA have showed so much confidence in the scheme.We need to bring the Waterfront back to life and this is a great start.

[Kev]

I'm sure that the area will deffo be the place to be in the next few years, for everyone, will become part of a day trip into town. Its been detactched for too long, that plus The Albert Dock.

[Max]

Would you try to live there one day Kev?

[Kev]

Would you try to live there one day Kev?

Yes, i will set up a two man tent next to the liver birds for me and......u perhaps?

[Howie]

What's happening with the canal link that was going to run under the museum building? I can't find any recent news. Was the funding confirmed?

Canal link to cities' birthdays
May 8 2006
By Catherine Jones Culture Reporter, Liverpool Echo

THE Liverpool to Leeds canal will join two cities celebrating their 800th anniversary next year.

The Civic Trust is liaising with waterways organisations and groups at both ends of the waterway to mark the dual anniversaries during 2007.

At 127 miles, the canal is the longest in Britain, linking two of the north's most historic cities which both gained their royal charters from King John in 1207.

There are proposals to extend the canal through to the Albert Dock with new navigable channels excavated through the currently infilled Trafalgar Dock and across the Pier Head.

Now there are plans to use the whole canal as a focal point for a series of events both in Liverpool and Leeds and in towns and villages along the route during 2007.

Meetings have been held between the Civic Trust, British Waterways, the Waterways Trust, Scarman Trust and Culture Company to develop ideas.

They include an education programme, time traveller's guide to the canal, heritage book project, songs of the sea festival, a green space restoration, a football celebration aimed at youngsters, music, illustrated talks and walks and textile heritage.

The Civic Trust also celebrates its 50th anniversary next year.

Ian Harvey, from the Trust's Liverpool office, said: "The project would offer a unique opportunity to unite Leeds and Liverpool to celebrate 2007 in a joint partnership and encourage local ownership of the canal.

"It's quite a complex project. There are 15 Civic Trusts and 14 local authorities along the route and they've all expressed an interest in taking part."

But the full programme of events could cost around £300,000 to put on and funding is still to be secured.

Clare Riches, of the Waterways Trust, said: "They want to raise awareness between the two cities that they're both celebrating their 800th birthday and looking at what could potentially be done.

"We would need a canal boat which can be used on the canal, so we'd be asking if there's a keen boater out there who would like to get involved."

The Leeds and Liverpool Canal runs through Burscough, Rufford, Wigan, Blackburn, Burnley, Skipton and Shipley.

Source: icLiverpool

[Kev]

LIVERPOOL'S most high-profile modern philanthropist last night revealed he has withdrawn his financial support from National Museums Liverpool over the controversial X-museum plans. more

[Paul D]

LIVERPOOL'S most high-profile modern philanthropist last night revealed he has withdrawn his financial support from National Museums Liverpool over the controversial X-museum plans. more

I like this development but it just seems destined not to be built.

[Kev]

THE planned extension of the Leeds-Liverpool Canal into the Albert Dock is set to move forward.

Councillors are being asked to grant British Waterways a long-term lease for land in front of the Three Graces at the Pier Head, so work can start on the £16m project this summer.

The extension, which will join the Canal up to the Albert Dock, is expected to attract thousands more tourists into the city.

A report to the city's executive board stresses there will be little public space lost as the majority of the canal will be in a culvert with only two open spaces opposite the Liver Building and Port of Liverpool Building.

Negotiations between British Waterways, the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company and National Museums Liverpool are being held about other stretches of land required to extend the canal.

"This is a very exciting development which will bring life and animation back to the Pier Head," said Cllr Keith Turner, executive member for resources.

"As well as leasing the land for the Canal, we are also going to improve the look and condition of the Pier Head.

"Work is planned for the public areas in time for Capital of Culture year.

"During the construction of the Canal, the public will still be able to get access to the waterfront and the ferries," he added.

"We want the Pier Head to be full of life and a real asset to the city. The waterfront is one of the most famous in the world and the canal extension will focus even more attention on it."

It is intended that construction work will start in summer of this year, and be completed by the end of next year.

The report will be considered by the Board on June 2.

* A 200-TON, 80-metre long steel truss which will form the main structural spine of the Kings Dock arena and convention centre roof will be lifted into position this afternoon.

Bob Prattey, chief executive of the Kings Dock, will use the occasion to reveal the names of some of the first bookings for the new centre, which is due to open in 2008.

deborahjames@dailypost.co.uk

[Paul D]

LIVERPOOL museum bosses will submit anew bid for Heritage Lottery funding this week for their £67m flagship Museum of Liverpool development.

But they will press ahead and start work on the Mann Island site this September - even though the lottery funding decision won't be known until next January.

The lottery fund turned down an £11.4m bid earlier this year on the grounds that insufficient information was available on the new museum's content.

However, the scheme was boosted when regeneration body the North West Development Agency pledged £32.7m.

National Museums Liverpool director Dr David Fleming revealed afresh lottery bid is to be lodged: "We are putting the finishing touches to anew Heritage Lottery Fund bid this week. We won't know whether we will get this money until January, but we will start building anyway.

"There are still a few hurdles to overcome. There is an important decision on European funding coming up and if that goes well we will start in September.


"We are 97.5% close to making this happen. This is prettymuch **** certainly going to happen," he insisted.


Archeologists will go on site in September and, barring any significant finds that could disrupt schedules, construction work will begin in October, Mr Fleming told guests at last night's official closure of the Museum of Liverpool Life which occupies part of the new development's site. (that answers why they closed it then)


The Museum of Liverpool will be completed in 2008 but will not open to the public for another 18 months, subject to fitting out.


In the meantime the museum will go out "on the road" with exhibitions on the city's history and music planned during 2008.


Mr Fleming said the new X-shaped development, dubbed the deck chair, will be one of the top half dozen city museums in the world: "It will put the city on adifferent scale and adifferent stage."

[Kev]

Archeologists will go on site in September and, barring any significant finds that could disrupt schedules, construction work will begin in October, Mr Fleming told guests at last night's official closure of the Museum of Liverpool Life which occupies part of the new development's site. (that answers why they closed it then)

Surely it won't be demolished??!!

[Paul D]

Surely it won't be demolished??!!

I can't see how they'd accomodate it in the new development if it occupies part of the site so that looks likely.

[Kev]

They should build around it or rebuild it as they did with the old houses outside of The Radisson

[Paul D]

They should build around it or rebuild it as they did with the old houses outside of The Radisson

They might yet I don't know enough about it,here's a shot of the interior.



and an alternative view.