It was not called in. The council rejected it and Maro appealed. It then went to Whitehall.
See, all is there:
Brunswick Quay Rejection
You are totally wrong.In truth, the scheme did little for the area and demonstrated an almost wilful determination to stand alone. The architecture was moribund and lacked any reference to its location - like all Simpson's designs it could have been anywhere (and indeed it turned up later, slightly revised on the South Bank).
The government's own chief architect (planning inspector) was complimentary and recommended acceptance. He said the location was ideal being in a bend on the river and at the end of an escarpment. He said:
"The proposals would be of the highest quality in design terms and would contribute to the skyline of Liverpool without having a damaging effect on the setting of heritage assets. They would also have a beneficial impact on the character, appearance and interest of the immediate locality."
"Application 05F/1009 – Scheme B - was refused by the Planning Committee on 23 August 2005 for the following reasons:"
...
...
He recommended:
"I recommend that the appeal in relation to scheme A be dismissed and that the appeal in relation to scheme B be allowed subject to the conditions in Appendix B."
Scheme B was the rejected Tower.
CABE too gave approval.
The scheme was world-class and would have projected the city forwards with a a big leap. the surrounding area would have benefitted greatly. If initially accepted it would have been built by now.
Turning the scheme down was an act of foolishness.
See/ Around post No. 60:
Brunswick Quay
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