Peel Holdings-Asset Stripping Liverpool, Right In Front Of Your Eyes.

It was six months ago that I told the both local editors of the plans that were passed to build a new port in…Salford at a cost of 400 million. The local papers had conveniently misplaced the story to the “Ignorant to the facts” or "Just plain Ignorant" section of Trinity “smoking” Mirror Group at Oldham Hall Street. I wrote to both editors showing them the glaring disaster that was unfolding in front of their very eyes and criticized them heavily on these pages. Shouting of the need to get this out to the public as there were thousands of Liverpool jobs at stake. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/07/liver-peel-conflicts-of-interest-begin.html  It was followed up with further writing http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/07/liverpeel.html  and once an understanding of the way we were being manipulated was unravelled it all became a little too easy to see through those smoking mirrors. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/07/is-daily-post-and-echo-mouthpiece-for.html  We were being sold down the river to….Salford by a Tax Exile John Whitaker, the Chairman and owner of Peel, living in the Isle of Man. Peel should be investigated by the competition commission.


Then they play around with our fledgling Cruise business and we are supposed to believe they are anything other than asset strippers wanting to build flats on the World Heritage Site while allowing Trafalgar Docks to be filled in with the rubble from the underground car park of Chavasse park on Grosvenor-pool. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/search/label/Cruise%20Liner%20Jetty


Peter Elson today reports, and he has a good stab at it having taken time to get public opinion he writes.
INTEGRATING Liverpool docks and the Manchester Ship Canal for the first time will create a phenomenal transport and economic asset, claims Mersey Ports boss Gary Hodgson.

Mr Hodgson, Mersey Ports managing director, rejected all criticism that investing in the Manchester Ship Canal (MSC) would damage Liverpool’s maritime trade.
The new £400m Port Salford at the MSC terminus, Port Wirral and other interchanges on the 36-mile canal instead would boost Liverpool trade.
Peel Ports is poised to start work on its £200m Post-Panamax double river berth in 2011 to take bigger ships.
“We think next year will be right, but economic conditions will decide,” said Mr Hodgson.
“People do not realise how important this is to the city.
“We’ve spent £2m on site surveys and creating a good engineering plan.
“Construction will take about 18 months to two years.
“The port drives what this place is all about. We’re trying to do the right thing to create wealth and jobs. We’ve planned integrating Liverpool docks and Manchester Ship Canal into a 44-mile system for a long time.
“They complement each other, but it’s the first time this has happened since the MSC was opened in 1894.
“This is one of our key strategies. We’ll achieve the opposite of what people claim – that it’s bad for Liverpool. In fact, it’s good for the city.”
Peel’s plan is for giant container ships to berth at a new 800m quay outside Royal Seaforth Dock.
Containers would be unloaded onto smaller ships fitting the MSC’s locks for distribution along its 36 miles.
The Liverpool – MSC barge shuttle (including wine for Tesco) set a precedent in replacing road haulage.
“Our chairman John Whittaker is passionate about this integration. Nothing compares with its impact.
“The economic benefits are huge when linked into the rail, road and motorway network along the canal.
“About 15m people live within two hours of the port, so why do 60% of our containers come via Felixstowe?”
The Post-Panamax berth is unaffected by tides, and ships are not constrained by Gladstone Lock’s size.

Comments left are not as kind as Peter to Peel but he has done a good job in asking the questions to Peel Ports and bringing it to the attention of those who wish to comment.

Linnetlane wrote: How is it good for the city? It's becoming clear that Peel is asset stripping the port of Liverpool in order to support its assets elsewhere. As anyone who has been up the Manchester Ship Canal will verify most of the activity is within the Liverpool City Region (there's very little past Runcorn) that's because there isn't the demand from the market - it isn't as though the existing facilities at Irlam are run off their feet!Peel is just trying to maximise its assets by using the port of Liverpool as a conduit to breath life into its Port Salford scam - aided and abetted by NWDA. It's hard sometimes to tell them apart these days with the same people moving between both organisations.The question we need to ask is would this be occurring if someone else owned the Port of Liverpool? Obviously not! Why would anyone want to create jobs elsewhere when there is more than enough capacity to do everything from the existing facilities at Seaforth, and keep jobs within the Liverpool city region.As a private company Peel is free to do as it likes with its assets. However, this does not excuse the behaviour of local authorities and local media who collaborate with them against the Liverpool city region's best interests.What BTW is Port Wirral? In this the new name for the Port of Liverpool on the Wirral side of the water?6/4/2010 9:20 AM BST on liverpooldailypost.co.uk Recommended (15) Report Abuse Permalink



Mekanik59 wrote: DO PEEL THINK WE ARE ALL 'THICK'...They are literally 'shifting' our commerceto wherever...our docks and our waterfrontare in 'dangerous hands'...is our councilUNAWARE of this..6/4/2010 11:20 AM BST on liverpooldailypost.co.uk Recommended (5) Report Abuse Permalink



blogalot wrote: Why cant our local press and councillorstake a sensible 'in-depth' look intothese proposals....A panamax berth bringsNOTHING to our region when everything is 'BARGED' out to be handled 'ELSEWHERE' why cant you see that..storage and distribution will all be inWhittakers Salford...the NWDA and Network RailAND LORD Adonis are all working on this plan...this city is set to be another Southport...no jobsnothing...relying on a few OAP's to stop overnightin our hotels.....We are NOT just a touristdestination...are you listening NWDA/Peel..Weneed REAL jobs..6/4/2010 11:33 AM BST on liverpooldailypost.co.uk Recommended (6) Report Abuse Permalink



h2400blue wrote: Come on Mr Hodgson, surley you are not a complete plant pot, trying to get in on the cheap again on the back of Liverpool. It was only a month ago your company had so much to say about development at Liverpool for passenger facilities needless to say the only company using Langton Have given two years notice that they are pulling out of Liverpool (WELL DONE)So you want to open the Canal again The only Deep sea vessels ever to go all the way up the Canal Manchester Liners who operated a regular sevice to Canada years ago have finished, The use of Eastham locks at the entrance to the Canal in the main were used by Tankers Going to Q. E. 11. Dock at Eastham You still have a small number of Small chemical tankers going no futher than Moor sidings, The canal is probally silted up as you know, as the water becomes less bracish the further that you go up the canal the draft of the vessel will increse, you state that you have spent two million pounds on a fezability study . I think Peel need to study if you are worth employing. you are either being miss Quoted or your off yor Head.REGARDS6/4/2010 12:20 PM BST on liverpooldailypost.co.uk