City Centre Living

[Howie]

I get quite depressed by this. The manufacturing sector has been destroyed, the service sector is too low paid, and the information sector jobs are too small in number. You just get the feeling that without some form of intervention in the economy then the future doesn't look great.

[FKoE]

I get quite depressed by this. The manufacturing sector has been destroyed, the service sector is too low paid, and the information sector jobs are too small in number. You just get the feeling that without some form of intervention in the economy then the future doesn't look great.

Thats it in a nutshell...

Even as a retail sector, we can't compete with Manchester, compared to it, we are out of the way, off the beaten track.

But the powers that be, see Liverpool as a Tourist destination, and a museum of white washed history..

All we need now is to rebuild New Brighton Tower and a Pleasure beach to be an upmarket Blackpool

God help Liverpool post 2008

[Kev]

Thats it in a nutshell...

Even as a retail sector, we can't compete with Manchester, compared to it, we are out of the way, off the beaten track.

But the powers that be, see Liverpool as a Tourist destination, and a museum of white washed history..

All we need now is to rebuild New Brighton Tower and a Pleasure beach to be an upmarket Blackpool

God help Liverpool post 2008

OMG - there's something in the air tonite, group hug . Lets do something positive, can we? or are we doomed?

[FKoE]

OMG - there's something in the air tonite, group hug . Lets do something positive, can we? or are we doomed?

Nah!! we'll be right once the footy season starts

[Kev]

Nah!! we'll be right once the footy season starts

- thats all it is, no footy!

[Liverpolitan]

I get quite depressed by this. The manufacturing sector has been destroyed, the service sector is too low paid, and the information sector jobs are too small in number. You just get the feeling that without some form of intervention in the economy then the future doesn't look great.

We agree about that one - some kind of intervention is necessary. Unfortunately, Government won't bribe and armtwist employers to move into town anymore, or even give Liverpool any decent public sector relocations (Manchester is getting the golden egg of the BBC relocation, Liverpool might get a few low paying clerical jobs out of the Inland Revenue or Home Office if it's lucky). Whoever it is who wants Plessey back - they are never ever coming back, all that is finished. Even successful areas of Germany are struggling to keep far more successful industries going because of lower wage costs in Eastern Europe. But everyone knows that already.

The only interevention I can think of that might possibly work is to get some more home grown businesses going, and create more of a business buzz that attracts new small businesses. New people are required for that, because you need chancers and also a growing population means growing markets. If the city can grow its population by say 50,000, that will create a lot more demand for services, and yet more jobs. It's a virtuous circle, just as the population decimation since the 1960s has half-killed the economy. I'm not suggesting existing local people shouldn't be doing this, and that some are, but setting up a real business that actually makes money and employs people is really hard I think. I've never done it and doubt if I ever will, although I'd like to. I don't think most people can. So bring in those who can. It's what London does, most of the enterprising Londoners setting up new businesses there were not born in London - that is as true now as it was in Elizabethan London.

Thousands of occupations can be done anywhere these days, the people who do them live where they want to live, often where they can network with others. It's vital to give a first class metropolitan quality of life. And in that Liverpool has a huge advantage, being such a beautiful city and also in many ways a happy one where people smile. So I'm actually quite optimistic about Liverpool and its economy, but only because I believe that ideas about housing investment coming first are probably not actually going to happen, and that the city at last has its eye on the prize of becoming a place for people to do business in again.

I'm not a Tory or pro-private enterprise particularly. Personally I'd have kept lots of industries in public hands, and a proper industrial policy. If Britain had supported shipbuilding the way the French and Germans had, we'd still have a big shipyard providing thousands of skilled jobs at Lairds. But we are where we are, the world has moved on and we have to be practical.

[FKoE]

Whoever it is who wants Plessey back - they are never ever coming back, all that is finished.

Your kiddin' yeah ?.

Manufacturing jobs have'nt disappeared Polly, they were relocated to developing countries where governments and corporations are more than willing to exploit the worker.

And here, they now exploit the consumer .

[Kev]

MORE than 1,000 apartments in Liverpool city centre are lying empty, the Daily Post can reveal.

Around 10% are still waiting for buyers or tenants, as young professionals shun penthouse suites and studios in the city centre to buy houses in areas like Lark Lane, in Aigburth.

Out of 9,279 flats, 1,117 are empty, according to statistics provided by Liverpool city council and many have been vacant for some time. With some apartments boasting price tags in excess of £900,000, the uptake on such properties has been slow, but even more are planned as Liverpool’s expansion grows. While it was thought thousands of young professionals with money to spend would flock into the city as improvements such as the ACC arena got under way, estate agents have spoken of their fears that supply has far outstripped demand. The startling findings have led

some to fear Liverpool could become a wasteland of empty properties owned by London developers who are unable to rent them out or sell them on. continues.....

[Paul D]

They're too expensive and don't cater for families,there lies your problem.

[PhilipG]

What I could never understand was where do all these young professionals work?

Manchester?

[Shapers]

Rents for these places in the City Centre are sky high, i beleve a lot are in excess of a £1000 a month, now if your on the minimum wage stacking shelves or packing in a factory, your never going to be able to afford these. What do the planners expect building expensive appartments (and not very good ones) in a area were the average wage dosen't succeed £200 a week? To me there targeting rich outsiders, so its not done for Scousers is it.

As its already been pointed out, we need more council homes. There is a huge waiting list, going years, yet the planners and the council are too busy knocking down old buildings and replacing them with small paper thin walled shoeboxes and charging extortionate rents. Can they be really surprised any are empty?

[The Teardrop Explodes]

What I could never understand was where do all these young professionals work?

Manchester?

Hahaha

[Kev]

I know of plenty of 'Professional' scousers living in apartments in town. It was bound to happen though....with the investors buying them up leaving alot unlived in. I'm sure its not just confined to Liverpool though.

[Waterways]

Rents for these places in the City Centre are sky high, i beleve a lot are in excess of a £1000 a month, now if your on the minimum wage stacking shelves or packing in a factory, your never going to be able to afford these. What do the planners expect building expensive appartments (and not very good ones) in a area were the average wage dosen't succeed £200 a week? To me there targeting rich outsiders, so its not done for Scousers is it.

The decline of Liverpool saw a brain drain of its people. The ambitious left. The city largely became a working class city with far too many with a handout taking mentality - and it showed.

For a city to get ahead it needs a vibrant active middle class. As Liverpool's middle class left, it needs to be brought back - as well as someone else's middle class enticed in as well.

It is obvious that these new apartments are not meant for sink estate dwellers.

As its already been pointed out, we need more council homes. There is a huge waiting list, going years, yet the planners and the council are too busy knocking down old buildings and replacing them with small paper thin walled shoeboxes and charging extortionate rents. Can they be really surprised any are empty?

We don't need new council homes at all - or very few. The city needs new private homes - owner/occupation. Let people be self sufficient and not rely on the state.

As the city becomes wealthier as the new middle class expands the economy, council homes will need to be built, here and there, however hopefully few.

[Kev]

We don't need new council homes at all - or very few. The city needs new private homes - owner/occupation. Let people be self sufficient and not rely on the state.

As the city becomes wealthier as the new middle class expands the economy, council homes will need to be built, here and there, however hopefully few.

There are plenty of council houses in Merseyside. I agree we must build more houses for private sale, 3 bed semi's etc... attracting those with families, young and old. Things have moved forward, though you cannot buy a 3 bed semi, new build for less than 160,000. 4 bed are over 180,000.

5 years ago you could pic up a new build home on a brown field site for 60,000.