Stinky Ink Bartlett Comes Up Smelling Of Roses.

Well having been critical even a bit over critical of  David Bartlett, he has sat down, listened, and understood the massive heritage issues that are about to unfold with Peel Holdings Liverpool Waters.
We have always believed he is a good bloke, and have kept his blog on our blog roll even while critical of his editorial, and we have every right to be critical with the Daily Post and Echo.
I hope that with a little bit more attention to matters of huge and significant importance, David can continue in this vein.
It will be of benifit to us all to have an equality of arms and a say in what is after all our city.
Our History is our future.
This is David Barlett filling in for Phil Redmond the professional scouser who is away sucking up to some government minister or two on how he can further his own career.

Daily Post column: Walking the World Heritage Site tight rope

By David Bartlett on Jul 30, 10 08:15 AM
I've been asked again to fill in for Phil Redmond's Daily Post column for a few weeks while he takes a break.

Here's this week's:
Liverpool's waterfront and city centre became a World Heritage Site in 2004 because it is "the supreme example of a commercial port at a time of Britain's greatest global influence".
The news was widely trumpeted - the city's heritage had been recognised and Liverpool was put on a par with the Pyramids and the Great Wall of China.
But just three years later Unesco sent a delegation to the city over concerns new developments threatened that very status.
After all was said and done Unesco's Heritage Committee decided the "outstanding universal value" of the WHS remained intact.
Unesco did however demand the council draw up of a blueprint of what developments should be allowed especially where tall buildings could go.
And the words "outstanding universal value" have been heard very little since - until this week.
For the past few months a curious dance has been going on behind the scenes between conservation watchdog English Heritage and developers Peel Holdings over the company's multi-billion Liverpool Waters project.
The company wants to regenerate the city's northern docklands with a series of skyscrapers creating more than 25,000 jobs and 14,000 apartments in a £5.5bn scheme.
Initial drawings for the project showed the docklands area covered in futuristic skyscrapers.
The latest set of drawings now bear little resemble as it turns out Peel Holdings have been forced to scale back the scheme over fears it could threaten the outstanding universal value of the WHS.
Despite this English Heritage still has serious reservations. Peel reckons a compromise will be reached as it has managed to do with the Wirral element of the scheme.
Wirral of course is no where near as controversial, given it does not have WHS status.
As is often the case with politics there is more at play than just the issue of the city's World Heritage Site status.
Peel, one of the biggest landowners in the North West, is seen by many as the great hope for regenerating north Liverpool - long identified as not having benefited as much as it could or should have from the city's wider renaissance.
Cue a careful balancing act.
Where the line is drawn between protecting the city's heritage remains to be seen.
Peel is correct when it says that currently much of the area earmarked for development is not accessible to the public and great swathes of docklands would be brought back into use.
It is to be hoped that a true compromise can be found, but not one that compromises the World Heritage Site.
To have Unesco inspectors in the city once was unfortunate, to have them here twice would be careless.
http://blogs.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/dalestreetblues/2010/07/daily-post-column-walking-the.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LiverpoolDailyPost-DaleStreetBlues+%28Liverpool+Daily+Post+-+Dale+Street+Blues%29

Maghull Developments want extra time for £100m Hope Street scheme.

I have just copied todays piece down considering David Bartlett did the same from me.
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/07/maghull-developments-ask-for-extension.html

Maghull Developments want extra time for £100m Hope Street scheme.
http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2010/07/30/maghull-developments-want-extra-time-for-100m-hope-street-scheme-92534-26960211/
CONTROVERSIAL Maghull Developments has applied for more time to build a mothballed £100m scheme in Liverpool’s historic Hope Street.

The project to create more than 50 apartments, office space, a high-class mini market, restaurants and an underground car park was hit by the credit crunch.
Three sets of planning permissions for the scheme expire next year and the company wants an extension until 2014.
The project controversially involved knocking down the historic Josephine Butler House, on the junction of Hope Street and Myrtle Street.
Ahead of the first planning application in 2008, the company was accused of “hacking the front” off the historic building causing an outrage.
When the credit crunch hit, the company admitted it could not proceed with the project and knocked part of the 1867 former hospital building down to create a 14-space car park.
Critics of the scheme are calling on the council to refuse the extension.
Last night Richard Gee from Gee Squared Ltd, the planning consultant acting for the company, said: “Maghull Developments has applied to extend its planning consent for Josephine Butler House, 2 Blackburne Place and 68 Hope Street, which expires in 12 months’ time, for a further period of three years.
“The extension will allow for a market upturn before any speculative development begins.”
The company has already reconfigured part of the scheme.
Maghull refurbished the Hahnemann Building to provide short-term flexible office accommodation.
But it hopes to revert to its original plan to convert the Grade II- listed building at 58 Hope Street into a four star 50-bedroom boutique hotel with a bar, restaurant and day-spa.
The firm was forced back to the drawing board with its original plans for a larger hotel in the Hahnemann Building after the building was listed in 2008.
These plans are not part of the extension application.
Simon Taylor, member of the Rodney Street Association, who lives in nearby Canning Street is one of a number of people to lodge objections.
Deputy council leader Paul Brant and Cllr Steve Munby have also objected.
Mr Taylor said: “Given that the case was not straightforward first time round I do not think planning permission should automatically be extended.
“A re-think of the whole project is needed, it is a different climate.”
He said the plans would cramp the already busy street.
“I am also concerned the volume of cars in the area will exacerbate parking problems.”
Last year the Daily Post revealed how Liverpool John Moores University had netted £10m from the sale of buildings which form the basis of Maghull’s scheme.

Joe Anderson, Backs Peel Holdings, Wirral Waters.

Not sure what to make of Uncle Joe yet. Not sure if, as the Fib-Dems were devious he is a bit more, simple, should I say. It has been said to me that he makes Warren Bradley look clever. But I dont think even Warren Bradley would support the competition.

http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2010/07/30/liverpool-and-wirral-council-leaders-agree-not-to-disagree-over-wirral-waters-plans-92534-26961001/

If Uncle Joe is to support Liverpool Waters and supposing he is on board and has been hooked in by Lyndsey Ashworth of Peel, why would you support a scheme that is going to be in direct competition and will start ahead of one on your own side of the river.

http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/07/liverpool-waters-english-heritage-hold.html

It is possibly a good idea and considering there are no heritage issues,  But what is the payback when our council leader goes hand in hand with a massive developer, wasn't that what the Fib-Dem spivs did and look at the world heritage mess they left behind.

http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/06/joe-anderson-to-save-liverpools.html

Correspondent in his musings calls for less of Joe's gimmicks. http://condensedthoughts.blogspot.com/2010/07/less-of-gimmicks-joe.html

http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/06/frank-mckenna-suckles-at-breast-of-joe.html

Liverpool Waters-English Heritage Sound The Right Noises, But Who Is Calling The Tune.

I think I will just print the whole Daily Post article.  http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2010/07/28/liverpool-waters-downscaled-over-world-heritage-site-status-fears-92534-26945260/
I dont think they will mind as he just copied down one of my posts. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/07/liverpool-waters-english-heritage-hold.html


THE developer of the multi-billion pound Liverpool Waters project has been forced to scale it back over concerns it could threaten the city’s World Heritage Site status.

Peel Holdings wants to regenerate the city’s northern docklands with a series of skyscrapers creating more than 25,000 jobs and 14,000 apartments in a £5.5bn development.
Peel has now agreed no building on the Mersey waterfront will be higher than 15 storeys and eight skyscrapers have been removed from one of two clusters of tall buildings, after conservation watchdog English Heritage raised concerns.
But a leaked document shows that despite the changes English Heritage still believes the project could be harmful to the “outstanding universal value” of the WHS.
Top officials from English Heritage’s Advisory Committee will meet today to discuss how serious the threat is and what should be done.
Last night Peel Holdings said it was confident it could reach a compromise with English Heritage ahead of submitting a planning application in the autumn.
Peel are keen to avoid a formal objection from English Heritage as it would increase the chances of a public inquiry being called in to the scheme.
The company’s Wirral Waters scheme on the other side of the Mersey will be considered by planners in the borough next week.

Lindsey Ashworth, Peel’s development director, said English Heritage had initially raised concerns with the Wirral element but eventually a compromise had been found.
“I think we will find a solution and some common ground, but that does not mean removing all the tall buildings,” he said. He said the company did not mind having had to reduce the number of tall buildings.
“Over the years you fine tune these things. I think what we have got is a really nicely balanced scheme. We are 75% there with English Heritage.”
A secret report to today’s meeting reveals English Heritage’s concerns about the Liverpool scheme.
“The assessment outlined in this report concludes that the impact would be harmful to the significance of the WHS.
“The developer will need to make further significant amendments to mitigate the harmful impacts of the current scheme and it is far from certain Peel will be prepared to do so,” it reads.
When Peel announced its plans in 2007 the drawings featured dozens of skyscrapers including two landmark towers seen in the forefront of the picture above right.
The new plans, seen by the Daily Post, no longer feature the towers or many other of the taller buildings.
Instead the tall buildings have been located in two clusters.
One cluster starts at Princes Dock with a scaled down Shanghai Tower – named as such in the hope it will attract Chinese investment.

The Shanghai Tower has been reduced to 55 storeys from between 60 and 65.
The other cluster at Clarence Dock will feature seven skyscrapers instead of 15.
The leaked English Heritage report shows how the national watchdog has had serious reservations for some time: “Committee agreed in January that the masterplan would cause significant harm to the outstanding universal value (OUV) of the WHS, the setting of listed buildings and the character and appearance of Stanley Dock conservation area. The proposals have been amended in response to our advice and a series of CABE (Commission for Architecture and Built Environment) design reviews.”
The report states that in October 2009 English Heritage said: “The proposals for Clarence Dock and Central Docks will need to be carefully assessed to ensure that they do not compromise the OUV, authenticity and integrity to the WHS.”
The committee said development should only be permitted if it could be clearly shown the universal value would not be compromised.
“The case for tall buildings at Clarence Dock has not been made and impact on the OUV of the WHS and setting of a range of designated heritage assets would be harmful.
“Serious consideration should be given to advising the removal of the proposed cluster from the masterplan.”
Last night an English Heritage spokesman said: “We are in pre-application discussions with the developer and Liverpool City Council, as these papers are not in the public domain we are unable to comment further until a planning application has been lodged.”

Stinky Ink Bartlett, comes up smelling of roses.
But please go to the comments section of David Bartletts article.

Liverpools World Heritage Officer is Refused Lottery Funding

It was meant to be a celebration.
LIVERPOOL WORLD HERITAGE SITE CELEBRATION, INTERPRETATION AND EDUCATION PROJECT. Lottery funding was sought.
Instead it was thrown out of the water on 17th June by The Lottery Fund at first round pass stage, the very first.
The rejection is damning.
Committee considers the project to be too expensive. There was a lack of justification for the level of staff which the project was requesting and the committee were concerned that the level of grant had increased significantly since the scheme were given pre-application advice.
Committee were concerned that there was a lack of base line data relating to the current interpretive provision in the area. They considered some kind od audit would have been useful to illustrate where the gaps in provision were. This would havehelped the project to justify the range of activities which they wanted to develop.
Committee felt that there was a lack of rational behind the capital works which the project was to include. Why these items?
There was a concern that the grant funding would be used to contunue existing staff posts.

This is not very good really. Is our World Heritage Officer John Hinchliffe really up to the job? In fact is he a waste of space? Or is he part of the Development Cabal?
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/02/john-hinchliffe-liverpools-world.html

Joe Anderson should look at what he does and ask questions of where his loyalties lie.

Liverpool Waters-English Heritage Hold Secret Meetings To Discuss Our City.

Tomorrow 28th July a secret meeting will take place where Greame Ives will present a English Heritage report into the Peel proposals to carve up the rest of the World Heritage Site compliled by him and Henry Owen-John. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/07/henry-owen-john-same-old-english.html
We can, be in no doubt, still lose WHS status because of these proposals. Unesco can and will act.
Overall Universal Value can and will be hit is these go ahead in their present form. EH, have said however that there are significant changes that need to be carried out and some of them are for the better.


In a confidential report prepared after another secret meeting at 1700hrs on the 14 July, between Joe Anderson and Baroness Kay, along with Mike Burchnall and John Kelly with Henry Owen-John present the Peel scheme was discussed. 
 
Joe Anderson, then had a candlelit dinner at 18.30hrs with Baroness Andrews the Chairman of English Heritage in the swanky Panoramic Restraunt, just the two of them.
The EH report compiled by Graeame Ives says; Buildings on the riverfront should be no higher than 15 storeys and that the Shanghai tower should be reduced significantly. There is a plan to reduce it to 55 Storeys and plonk it on plot 3 on Princes Dock. What a joke how can they even think this. This will change the Skyline into Shanghai and I dont say that kindly.

The meeting and presentation 28th July 2010 is entitled Liverpool Waters Master Plan.

The picture is itself from a Governments Report 2010 and guess what they use a picture from 2002 and you all know what that despoilt view looks like now. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/02/liverpool-waters-glass-pie-in-sky-we.html
Our understanding is that an ex EH historic buildings advisor and English Heretic Peter De Figuirido is employed by Peel Holdings. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/04/who-polices-heritage-police.html

Another secret meeting took place on the 13th April where the Liverpool World Heritage Steering Group (what!!) all touched each other up at the Government Office for the North West at Cunard Buildings. This went on from a meeting on the 12 January.
Ian Wray was Chair and it was predominately led by John Hinchliffe our very own World Heritage waste of space. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/02/john-hinchliffe-liverpools-world.html
John Belchem is on the WHS steering committee as is Sarah Jane Farr as is Keith Blundell (tourism).
Louise O'Brien daughter of Fred is always around these things, but does not go out front.
What is even more alarming that old "Fuzzy felt" Fleming is on this steering committee too.
You would have thought he has done enough damage, but no. As the name suggests it is a  set up to steer through contentious plans...in secret.
More to follow.


Lottery funding has been refused for Liverpool World Heritage Site Celebration, Interpretation and Education Project.
Maybe they can see right through them.

Maghull Developments-Ask For Extension To Josephine Butler House Planning Applications.

Well when I say Josephine Butler House, I mean, what was once Josephine Butler House and is now a piece of Tarmac with four car parking spaces, after Maghull Developments hacked off everyone in the city while hacking off the facade, while a listing application was going through.

What has also happened, now,  is that several other applications have been made for the extensions to planning applications for No 2 Blackburne House and 68 Hope Street. It seems a mistake has been made with the new planning applications. (See letter from Chris Riddleland of the planning office below).

Round up all the usual suspects Mumby, Brant and Burridge who were never around when you need them, who may, choose their schemes to object to carefully on a most publicity basis, and this will create the usual kick off with the press. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/04/mann-island-is-penny-finally-dropping.html

Here is one we did earlier regarding JB House http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/03/httpwww.html Here is another about Hahnermann House http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/04/liverpool-preservation-trust-11-13.html

letter from Riddleland of the Planning Dept.

Mr Colquhoun,


The applicant’s details were submitted in error by the Planning Agent, Richard Gee, who has subsequently written in and requested that the applicant’s name be changed to Maghull Developments.
Planning and listed building consents (07F/3274), (07L/3275), (07F/3276) & (07L/3278) are due to expire on the 8th April, 14th April 2011, 9th May 2011 & 26th March 2011, respectively. The latest applications (10L/1513), (10F/1515), (10F/1517) & (10L/1518) are applying to extend the time period for implementing these original planning permissions, for a further three year period.

I trust this is of assistance.
Regards,
Chris Ridland
Planning
Municipal Buildings
Dale Street
Liverpool
L2 2DH
Tel: 0151 233 5628
Fax: 0151 233 4290
E-Mail chris.ridland@liverpool.gov.uk
Web: www.liverpool.gov.uk
2010 Year of Health and Wellbeing
http://www.2010healthandwellbeing.org.uk/

Shanghai Expo 2010-Liverpool Council Wastes, Its, No, Our, Money, While They Close Care-homes.

Todays PR supplement at The Daily Council is the usual Smoking Mirrors we know and have learnt to detest. Spinning this bad idea, to waste money, is not a thing that we should expect from the local merchants of spin.
This should have been a bad news story right from the outset.
The way the council got caught with the MIPIM Booze Cruise junket so the went a bit further a-feild where they thought no one could find them. Wrong. http://profchucklebuttychronic.blogspot.com/2010/07/another-330k-for-liverpool-day-at.html read Mr Chucklebuttys satirical view on the proceedings.
Todays paper says http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2010/07/26/top-chinese-businesswoman-keen-to-visit-liverpool-after-tour-of-city-s-shanghai-expo-pavilion-92534-26929323/
Top Chinese businesswoman keen to visit Liverpool after tour of city’s Shanghai Expo pavilion


Jul 26 2010 by Neil Hodgson, Liverpool Daily Post
Comment (1)Recommend ONE of the world’s most powerful businesswomen has visited Liverpool’s pavilion at the World Expo in Shanghai.
Ms Sun Yafang is chair of Huawei Technologies and regularly features in the Fortune 500 as one of the top 50 businesswomen.
Huawei Technologies is a leading provider of telecom services and is China's largest manufacturer of telecoms equipment, serving 45 of the top 50 global operators.
Ms Sun said she was keen to visit Liverpool having seen the business offer at the pavilion.
Oliver Hayakawa, director of the Liverpool Shanghai Partnership, said: “It is fantastic to engage with such high value and powerful individuals who have now gone away knowing so much more about the opportunities in Liverpool.
“These are exactly the sort of people we want to enthuse about the city and consider us in future for investment and business. The word has got around that Liverpool is not just exciting and fun, but a city that is serious about doing business with a fantastic offer.”

I try not to swear too much on these pages, but really do we deserve this shit from lazy journo's who should know better.
Here is one from Our Own Correspondent http://condensedthoughts.blogspot.com/2010/06/emperors-new-clothes-moment.html oh and another. http://condensedthoughts.blogspot.com/2010/05/home-truth-thats-little-too-close-to.html
Now, let me see, which one do I believe?

Mike McCartney-Professional Scouser and Pisstaker.

Correspondent sent me a link to a new exhibition of the work of Edward Chambre Hardman which is opening 26th July, and running to 20th August 2010. He sent this link from Directory of Liverpool.net  http://directoryofliverpool.net/blog/2010/07/22/26th-july-to-20th-august-2010-hardmans-hope-exhibition-liverpool-cathedral/

Hardman’s ‘Hope’ Exhibition


26th July-August 20th
Liverpool Cathedral is to host a new digital photography exhibition charting life in the Hope Street Quarter from the 1920’s to the 1970’s.

‘Hardman’s Hope’, which features photographs taken by renowned Liverpool photographer E. Chambré Hardman, will run from July 26th.
The exhibition will be narrated by fellow photographer Mike McCartney, whose expert opinion, natural humour and love of Liverpool help bring the exhibition to life.
There will also be a ‘hands on’ exhibition of vintage cameras used by Hardman and the chance to try the family trail, ‘Stomp and Click,’ which takes visitors through the Hope Street Quarter, allowing them to walk in the shoes of Hardman and take their own contemporary photographs of the area.
Access to the Cathedral, exhibition and the trail is free with a prize for those who complete the trail and the chance to submit photographs taken for a large collage, which will be used in the final week of the exhibition.
Visitors looking for inspiration for the Cathedral 2 Cathedral Photography Competition, ‘Life in Hope’ (which closes on August 20th) can also find encouragement in Hardman’s work.
Although he had an excellent reputation throughout the city for his work with portraits, it wasn’t until after his death that his photography was truly appreciated, showing the changes to Liverpool over the years.
Hardman’s house and studio at 59 Rodney Street, along with his huge collection of images, was acquired by the National Trust in 2002.
It is the only known photographic studio of the twentieth century where all of the work has been preserved intact alongside his home, personal and business papers.
For more information on the exhibition or the Cathedral 2 Cathedral photographic competition, visit http://www.liverpoolcathedral.org.uk/

59 Rodney Street is open Weds – Sun, 11am – 3.30pm. Admission is by timed ticket. For details and bookings call 0151 709 6261.

The exhibition is curated by Scafolder Mike McCartney. brother of Paul, professional scouser, who lives on the Wirral and general lazy pisstaker... and alleged fondler.
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/03/chambre-hardman-and-lost-city-of.html See part of a programme narrated by John Peel telling the Chambre Hardman tale.

We had to wrestle this archive off him and his fellow trustees.
The full reality is he was one of the trustees who wanted to close down the house in Rodney Street and send the collection off to the Bradford Museum of Film, which one of the fellow trustees ran.
He was one of the trustees that I exposed after going through the accounts at the Charity Commission, and handing them over to the press, as wasting 300 grand of actual money, and letting the house go to rack and ruin.
He was the one who I complained to David Porter of the National Trust, to be a goon, and already let the Chambre Hardman bequeath become into such a perrilous situation, and that he should not be let near it ever again.
" I may feel the same way as you, but the situation is, that we need his brothers imput...and finances, and so we have to have him on board whether we like it or not"
I wonder how much Paul "Macca" McCartney will donate to put his little brother out front of this exhibition?

Museum of Liverpool- Is Nominated for Building Design Carbuncle Cup 2010 .

Well that must be an award in itself nominations 2 years running within yards of each other. http://www.bdonline.co.uk/news/uk/nominate-your-carbuncle/5002065.article  Last year Liverpool had the embarrassment of the title of National Carbuncle cup winner for the Terminal Ferry Building plonked on the Pier Head. It was declared by Amanda Ballieu the editor of Building Design in her final summing up said “The winner is the building that shows how bad architecture and bad planning can combine to produce something truly awful — a building so ugly it can turn human flesh to stone or at the very least make grown men cry”.

 http://www.bdonline.co.uk/readers-free-classifieds/liverpool-ferry-terminal-wins-carbuncle-cup-2009/3147432.article  

The judges went on “It is such an amazing site, directly in front of the Three Graces, but the architects seem barely to have noticed. It is like letting a bad second-year student build next to St Peter’s,” said the judges despairingly.
“This is bad patronage by an ignorant council which thinks having jazzy architecture is putting the city on the map again.”
Completed this summer by Hamilton Architects (not to be confused with Hamiltons) the £9.5 million building incorporates ferry operations, a Beatles museum and a rooftop restaurant. It is cantilevered on two sides and clad in limestone to complement the new Liverpool Museum next door.

“The architect evidently once looked at a Zaha building in a magazine,” said the judges. “It is essentially a horrible sectional idea that has been extruded like a stick of rock. The long elevations couldn’t be more tedious, the Dr Caligari end facades no more grotesque. When you go there you think: oh no, I can’t believe they’ve done that.”

The awful One Park West on Chavasse Lawn came fourth just missing out on the top three.

http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/tm_headline=new-mersey-ferry-terminal-unveiled%26method=full%26objectid=18012714%26siteid=50061-name_page.html

http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/tm_headline=ferry-terminal-delayed-after-call-for-rethink%26method=full%26objectid=18308623%26siteid=50061-name_page.html

Larry Neild wrote before he went to work for October Communications.

http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/views/liverpool-columnists/larry-neild/tm_headline=uninspired-design&method=full&objectid=18810407&siteid=50061-name_page.html

This year it is the new Museum of Liverpool, and it stands a good chance of winning too. The Terrible Ferry Terminal building in the words of the architects was designed to compliment the new museum !!! Yes and they managed it only, not being educated in the requisite skills to design in a world heritage site, Hamiltons, the Belfast based architects didn’t realise they were following the lines of a bigger carbuncle than theirs. Here is a letter in the BD

http://www.bdonline.co.uk/comment/letters/carbuncle-too?/3153941.article

At first glance, the new National Museum in Rome looks just like the ferry terminal in Liverpool which won this year’s Carbuncle Cup (Features August 28)

It is only when one reads Ellis Woodman’s excellent review of the building as “displaying a cynical disregard for its purpose” that it is clearly by your old favourite Zaha Hadid. Once again, one might have expected better from a total outlay of €150 million.

Still, I do like the little orange hydrant in front of the entrance.

Susan Ballinger, Sheffielhttp://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/liverpooldailypost/news/regionalnews/tm_method=full%26objectid=18910245%26siteid=50061-name_page.html

Manchester Docks was buried

So what fate await Liverpools beacon of regeneration the new museum of Liverpool can it be picked as the winner of BDs Carbuncle Cup Award 2010……You bet it can.

The picture above alongside the Terminal Ferry Carbuncle is the Rome MAXXI (which they copied an elevation for Liverpool museum) which by contrast is nominated for the Sterling Prize 2010 which is dominated this year by museums, well apart from Liverpools. http://www.bdonline.co.uk/buildings/roman-horror-day-at-zaha-hadids-maxxi/3153497.article

Liverpool's Carbuncle Cup-Nominate Your Carbuncle of 2010

Last year we had unparalled success with LIVERPOOLS CARBUNCLE CUP, in exposing what the public thought of Liverpools new architecture.
The BBC took it up and asked the North West as a whole to nominate their own choices on BBC NorthWest.
And there were numerous inspired choices of 2009's newly built carbuncles for the region as a whole.
The BBC were inundated.
In Liverpool, there where many to choose from indeed.
LIVERPOOLS CARBUNCLE CUP get your nomination in now there seems to be plenty to choose from.

Are Liverpool Museums Skint-Phil Redmond Wants It Run By Volunteers.

Here is a perfect example of some-one out to feather their own nest. Phil Redmond-The Professional Scouser who lives in Tarporly, in leafy Cheshire. They dont have many scouse weddings in that kneck of the woods. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/03/phil-redmond-professional-scouser.html
Now because NML is skint and to save embarrasment to the big wigs at NML of which Phil is Chairman, and his wife Alexis is trustee responsible for finances, they now hatch a giant plot to blame everybody else but themselves. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/07/dr-david-fleming-now-he-is-winging.html
Redmond says,
One is broadening out the current volunteer scheme at National Museums Liverpool (NML) - where Mr Redmond is chairman - which helps give practical work experience and transferable skills such as First Aid training to jobless people. http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news//2010/07/19/liverpool-s-phil-redmond-unveiled-as-coalition-government-s-new-local-innovation-champion-100252-26882670/2/

You build a new museum and then cut back on staff, now thats clever Phil.
Despite disbanding the Friends of Liverpool Museums who were helping run the museums he now wants them to come back minus any dissenters such as Andrew Pearce.
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/03/phil-redmond-professional-scouser.html This is what Correspondent says.


Redmond in the usual droll manner says,
“There is a model here for us to let people run public assets such as museums, libraries and council services outside normal staffing hours.
“Such training could be used to gain an employer-recognised qualification.”
Another plan is for exhibitions to be held as a platform for people to put forward their own ideas on how local services could be improved.
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/07/dr-david-fleming-five-faces-of.html They are Skint.

Here is my idea don't waste £78,000,000 pounds on a museum that nobody wants, or needs and you will be able to have a professional service at NML.

Dr David Fleming-Now He Is Whinging About Budget Cuts.

IT just has to make you laugh. after the last couple of days when the Director of Liverpool Museums has been found out to be in dispute with yet another body working for them. The new architects for the White Elephant-On-Sea, museum in the world heritage site has claimed an extra 500k in costs. This has to be paid in 10 days. With an extra £32,000 in costs.
Now good old Catherine Jones, who proclaimed to me to be running the Oldham Echo, Stop the Rot campaign, that never stopped anything, gets the chance for Trinity "Smoking" Mirrors to placate David "Fuzzy Felt" Fleming who has complained about the coverage. He knows it works everytime he complains he gets extra coverage, to placate him, even though he was wrong in the first place to complain. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/07/dr-david-fleming-five-faces-of.html

 http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2010/07/16/merseyside-arts-bodies-face-armageddon-budget-cuts-92534-26865327/

Now he whines;

 MAJOR budget cuts facing Merseyside arts bodies were last night described as “Armageddon”.

And National Museums Liverpool chief David Fleming said the organisation was looking at every option including selling assets, redundancies, closures of sites and reduced opening times.
Yesterday, the bosses of Britain’s biggest arts bodies met in London to make an impassioned plea for the government to think again about axing up to 40% from culture budgets, being considered as part of the imminent Spending Review.
They argued that, while the cultural sector is willing to play its part in the country’s economic recovery with “realistic cuts”, “the 25-40% cuts being proposed would be catastrophic as they come on top of 3.5% cuts this year as well as the cultural sector’s £322m contribution to the cost of the Olympics.”
National Museums Liverpool (NML) receives £21m from central government, which forms the majority of its budget. A cut of 25% would see it lose £5.25m, while 40% would equate to £8.4m.
Mr Fleming said: “There’s sharing the burden, and there’s deciding where you do least harm. At the moment, it’s just everybody gets the same. I’ve had several meetings with staff and they are being very constructive.
“It’s Armageddon and we’ve all got to work together to get through it.”

Maybe the local papers should wake up to the fact this carbuncle in the world heritage site is the worst cultural disaster to hit Liverpool since the Second World War.

MAYBE IF HE HAD NOT WASTED SO MUCH MONEY PAYING OUT COVENANTS AND LEGAL DISPUTES WITH 3XN AND THEN ARGUING WITH THE NEW ARCHITECTS, HIS, NO, OUR, ORGANISATION WOULD NOT BE IN SUCH A MESS.

http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/02/liverpool-museums-how-much-have-they.html

http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/07/david-fuzzy-felt-fleming-he-should-be.html

http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/07/trinity-smoking-mirrors-advertorial-for.html

Dr David Fleming-The Five Faces of Liverpool Museums.

Lets imagine the scenario yesterday by 12 am a full two page letter would have been received at the editors office, of Trinity Mirror complaining about the days press coverage of the museums being, effectively sued by AEN, the new architects, after the previous ones, 3XN were sacked. David Fleming will have expressed concerns about where the news came from and what sources had given the news over to the papers. He will have been sick as a Dodo.

Trinity “Smoking” Mirrors had tried to delay it, purposely in my opinion to give them a chance to put some more fluffy stuff in, but they were never going to get around this one. Ben Schofield will have put his tin hat on again for fear of being sued, Fleming has threatened him before.
Last week at a Union meeting staff discussed the impending cuts to the museum services. All this while David “Fuzzy Felt” Fleming wastes more public funds. It is now generally accepted that this big White Elephant-On-Sea is lurching from one disaster to another.
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/07/trinity-smoking-mirrors-advertorial-for.html
The new press officer at NML, Dicky Felton, yes you heard it right, would have chipped in with a few e-mails, "it wasn’t adjudication, it was arbitration" he would have said. Really who gives a carrot about this rubbish trying to scare the papers into not reporting the truth? Bullying Mark Thomas and it worked last time when the major story about the £750,000 covenant pay off the Port of Liverpool Building owners, when Phil Redmond had it suppressed with personal intervention. Alastair and Phil get quite close at times.

Will Alsop declared last week http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/06/two-faced-liverpool-museums-will-alsop.html  saying I feel that the Liverpool museums who were stakeholders in the project always had their own agenda and were not helpful. Indeed, you could say perhaps even two faced. 

Dicky Felton was not even told by Fuzzy Felt Fleming about this £500,000 dispute, and now extra pay-off to the architects. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/07/museum-of-liverpool-cock-up-work-stops.html
At a time when nursing homes are closing all over the city, our museums waste millions.
How many faces do you need to be a museum director? How can you be a press officer and not be informed about such a disaster. Where did Dicky used to work? At Trinity Mirror, thats a coincidence.

So on 2nd July Museum Chairman, Phil Redmond had used his column in the Daily Ghost to announce that the staff at our once great institution are under pressure in recent times. Click the picture to enlarge.
It says
"Teamwork is something we are all going to appreciate, and perhaps need help, in the coming months, if not years, as the full impact of the budget starts to sink in. Already the public sector has been told to look for cuts, sorry efficiencies, of up to 30%, as we have at National Museums Liverrpool, alongside the rest of the cultural sector".

And then they waste £750,000 paying off a covenant, half a million to the architects, then the floor needs to come up. And then they are telling the staff to tighten their belts, it does not seem right.

Morrissey Lover, Dickie Fenton has been brought in, at extra expense to try and smooth out all the extra cock up money, how much is he being payed while staff worry about their jobs. This combined with visitor numbers being down significantly, because, NML sources say, of Grosvenor-pool taking the footfall in a differing direction. Some-one needs sacking and, in my opinion, he has got five faces.

Wayne Colquhoun

David "Fuzzy Felt" Fleming-He Should Be Sacked.

NML Can't Pay-Won't Pay.
How many cock-ups does one have to make to get sacked in the public sector. Grand mis-management of a public contract for a new museum in the world heritage site, that started off with a costing of £28,000,000 that ends up costing £78,000,000, and it hasnt finished yet.
Nearly a million pounds paid out for a covenant that they knew about, and now as reported last Friday on these pages, an extra £500,000 to the new architects...not 3XN who were sacked by Fuzzy, who then appointed AEN as architects. This dispute has now cost a further £32,000 in costs,  http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/07/museum-of-liverpool-cock-up-work-stops.html
Today Ben Schofield reports http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2010/07/14/national-museums-liverpool-forced-to-pay-500-000-to-architects-after-row-over-unpaid-fees-92534-26848660/ On the damning state of affairs at Liverpool Museums who destroyed Manchester Dock, our culture, to build this new museum. Fleming needs sacking.

This is a comment left on the above
Katie54 wrote:


So we have a very high profile project, designed by renowned architects who won an international competition against very stiff opposition.... then NML wanted to fiddle around with the design (cladding, etc.) and sacked the original architects, appointing the firm that was assisting with navigating UK building regs. etc.... who implemented all the many changes decided by NML.... who then refused to pay for them, although they appear to have unilaterally paid out 750,000 instead of 70,000 odd because they forgot to check the covenants on a World Heritage site!! This is not only an astounding example of arrogance and pride, but all the faffing around appears to have cost a minimum of 1,250,000. Who exactly can call Dr. Fleming to account for his astonishing hubris?

14/7/2010 11:51 AM BST on liverpooldailypost.co.uk
 
I does not stop there, the floor now needs to come up I am reliably informed.
The reality is they have spent all the budget.
 
Picture of Rome MAXXI which opened 2009..........well they do look exactly the same dont they.

Trinity "Smoking" Mirrors-An Advertorial For The Museum of Liverpool.

Fridays Post was one I did after talking to a museum mole. There are serious problems down at the new museum. I am informed, reliably that £550,000 of disputes are outstanding and furthermore that the steppage has all been wrongly ordered or cut wrongly and cannot be finished off. This on top of the £750,000 paid to Downing for ruining the views. (why did they pay Downing for destroying our views)http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/07/museum-of-liverpool-cock-up-work-stops.html
The disputes were reported in the Architects Journal http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/06/museum-of-liverpool-where-has-all-cash.html and I sent these on to the Trinity "Smoking" Mirror group..................not a dicky bird. David Bartlett subsequently told me "Yes I got your e-mail and I phoned the architects office and they didn't phone me back". What a Slueth. No wonder we are wasting so much money right under your nose while care homes close around us.
I sent Fridays post off to Bartlett and Ben Schofiels and both editors and was suprised to receive a phone call. "Could we speak to your mole" Ben Schofield said "I think not I value his job" I told him "You will have to do a bit of digging".
So I thought its a big story I will risk having a glance to see what they have found out....... and this is it....an advertorial about how everything is going so well at the mueseum. Not a mention of disputes http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2010/07/12/milestone-reached-in-creation-of-liverpool-map-art-work-for-new-museum-of-liverpool-92534-26832649/ No wonder the people working at Trinity "Smoking" Mirrrors have lost the respect of the public.
The article says

All six multi-layered glass columns that will make up the Liverpool Map art work have now been fired.

Each one now has to be polished before it is ready for transportation to the new Museum of Liverpool at the Pier Head, where it will be take pride of place in the People’s City gallery.
Inge Panneels, who was chosen to create the Map alongside US glass sculptor Jeffrey Sarmiento after a worldwide call for submissions, said it has been one of the most complex projects of her career.
The Belgian artist said: “It has been technically and physically demanding at times but we are now ahead of schedule to finish the sculpture.
“It’s just a matter of polishing the edges of the columns which should be completed by August. This has been the most complex and most technically demanding projects I’ve worked on.
“It has certainly changed the way I would like to work in the future.”
Made up of six 2m-tall panels of fused glass, the Map aims to capture a snap-shot of Liverpool people’s living memory at a single point in time – during its 800th birthday year of 2007.
A Daily Post appeal saw members of the public chose the local people and places they wanted to feature.
Sarmiento said: “The overall idea is to use the street map as a sort of skeleton within which images, texts and patterns are held.

“When seen in layers the overall work gives an idea of the city’s cultural history and identity. I am very proud to have been a part of this project.
“It’s been quite a journey, and it was a real adrenalin rush when the final glass column came out of the kiln.”
The Liverpool Map is due to arrive at the Museum of Liverpool in September and will be ready to view at the new attraction next year.
Janet Dugdale, the museum’s director of urban history, said: "It's fantastic to have been involved in such a project, particularly as the public have had so much input in its content.
“The Museum of Liverpool is devoted to telling to story of the city and its people, and it's essential that people feel part of it.”


What a disgraceful situation when the local press appear to hide things from the public and do good-will stories about things no-body wants to know about just to promote the White Elephant-On-Sea. No wonder they were allowed to destroy the world heritage site with this level of, well I nearly said journalism there, but I meant trash.

Museum of Liverpool Cock Up-Work Stops, They Have Got To Take The Floor Up

Its just one after another how can a public body go on wasting the taxpayers money with cock up after cock up. This new one is regarding the floor that was recently laid....that has bubbled up and will have to be relaid.
Hang on the floor has to come up, Why?
And who is going to pay for this?
The reason for this I was told by a museum mole, is because David "Fuzzy Felt" Fleming wanting it laying before they were ready, and signed off,  so he could have his posh dinner in the window overlooking the Pier Head. So he could impress the likes of Winifred Robinson. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/03/museum-of-liverpool-radio-4-take.html  
This man is a nightmare how he has not been sacked is beyond me. If any of you went ahead with building an extension on your house for £78,000 in the manner he has been let loose with £78,000,000 your house would be repossed by the bank. 
Flemings Folly continues to drain resourses. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/03/flemings-folly-liverpools-new-museum.html It is one disaster after another. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/02/museum-of-liverpool-are-trustees-out-of.html Are the trustees out of control.
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/02/liverpool-museums-how-much-have-they.html Cock up after cock up this man argues with everyone.
Is this the two facedness that Will Alsop declared http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/06/wayne-colquhoun-asks-will-alsop.html
This clown needs stopping before he wastes anymore money needed for elderly people and care homes in Liverpool. I am now reliably informed that there are disputes of £500,000 pounds outstanding and writs have started, it looks like the problems will not go away until this tin-pot director is removed.

Henry Owen John-Same Old English Heritage Rubbish.

ECONOMIC cutbacks mean the outlook is bleak for a range of Merseyside buildings deemed “at risk” by English Heritage in its latest report.
Here is last years report http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/06/english-heretics-report-what-load-of.html So whats new.


Among the areas highlighted in the heritage watchdog’s register for 2010 is Liverpool’s Duke Street conservation area. Alan Weston writes. http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2010/07/08/cutbacks-pose-risk-to-liverpool-and-merseyside-s-historic-sites-and-beauty-spots-warns-english-heritage-92534-26808322/
 In its new Heritage at Risk register, English Heritage uses Duke Street as an example of a development which was particularly badly hit by the recession.

It said: “Many sites remain compromised by recent unsustainable property values which can no longer be achieved, resulting in significant conservation deficits for a range of potential development sites.
“Without a continuation of substantial heritage-based regeneration funding, or a reversal in the economic climate, it will be particularly challenging to achieve a positive outcome for a range of key sites in the near future.”
A new addition to the English Heritage list of buildings at risk is the Grade II*-listed Greenbank Drive Synagogue, a 1930s art-deco building in Sefton Park.
The synagogue is now closed as a place of worship, but the local congregation still own and are looking to sell the building.
The report says it is “in need of substantial renovation and repair works to the historic fabric”.
English Heritage also highlighted the condition of Anfield cemetery – sometimes known as Liverpool cemetery – as “generally unsatisfactory with major localised problems”.

Despite this report English Heretics put up no fight to Liverpool City Council giving away the GradeII listed Stanley Park.

A number of other landmark buildings in Liverpool city centre remain on the “at risk” register, such as St Luke’s church at the top of Bold Street; the Wellington Rooms, in Mount Pleasant; the Royal Insurance building, in North John Street; the Church of St Andrew, in Rodney Street; the Church of St James, in St James’s Place; and the Stanley Dock north warehouse.

So whats new there the same old at risk register gets brought out again while the same old regional development director Henry Owen John, who has behaved, in my opinion more like a spiv spouts the same old story again while his boss Neil Cossons working for Liverpool Museums gave away the world heritage site http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/05/sir-neil-cossons.html While Peter de Frigerido now enjoys working for Peel holdings  http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/04/who-polices-heritage-police.html
And they give us the http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/10/wellington-rooms-liverpools-buildings.html same old same old Mr Owen John... The Wellington Rooms.... St James Church.... http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/10/st-james-church-liverpools-heritage-at.html
St Andrews http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/10/st-andrews-church-rodney-st-liverpools.html The Royal Insurance on Dale Street that David  http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/10/liverpools-heritage-at-risk-royal.html That David Bartlet said was a mess http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/06/dale-street-blues-stinky-ink-finally.html
English Heritage said it would now be concentrating its resources on “stopping the rot” by arresting any further decay in significant historic places, so they can take advantage of any future economic growth.



 
Maybe if the little Lord Thurley who runs English Heretics had any idea what he was doing and stopped wasting money we would all have a chance
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/07/english-heritage-dumber-and-dummer.html
 
Henry Owen-John, North West regional director for English Heritage, said: “The combination of the economic downturn and an unfavourable exchange rate which reduces the value of European funding are factors in building projects either not being started or completed.”
 
As it happens you need to stop the rot at English Heritage who have watched while a billion pounds of European Objective One money was spent on amongst other things, building new apartments in the World heritage Blight while English Heretics funded John Hinchliffe to do nothing to protect it. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/02/john-hinchliffe-liverpools-world.html
 
Here is one we did earlier
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/05/henry-owen-john-english-heretic.html

Littlewoods Edge Lane-The Decay Really Sets In Hard.

There was a scheme to relocate a school in the Littlewoods building in Edge Lane. This is now off. This Art Deco building should have been the site for the new museum of Liverpool, instead of ruining the world heritage site. English Heritage said the area should have been made a conservation area but with Mike Storey as Liverpool Land company top dog it was always going to be spivved to a cosy developer such as Urban Splash. They have now abandoned the idea. It was and still may be owned by the North Vested Interest Development Agency which means that we are watching it decay week by week. When will it fall down.

http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/02/liverpool-museums-how-much-have-they.html

Now the proposed relocation of a school inside is off with the announcement of huge budget cuts.

Major projects scrapped include the moving of two Church of England secondaries, Sefton Park’s St Hilda’s and city-centre based Archbishop Blanch into the iconic Littlewoods building within Edge Lane’s Innovation Park. http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2010/07/06/black-day-for-liverpool-education-as-tories-and-lib-dems-scrap-350m-school-rebuilding-programme-92534-26792438/ The Daily Ghost reports. Incidently theschools involved said they did not want to move.

Previously they had heraded the idea as wonderful claiming the building had been saved.

http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2009/06/17/planners-back-plans-to-build-schools-in-liverpool-littlewoods-building-despite-business-fears-92534-23895959/

We did not quite agree.

http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/06/littlewoods-edge-lane-still-in-peril.html

http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/05/littlewoods-building-edge-lane-decay.html

Elizebeth Pascoe had to pack her bags http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/03/pathfinders-edge-lane-road-to-nowhere.html While Joe Anderson stood by http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/05/liverpools-joe-anderson-we-will-scrap.html While he was sucking up to the busessman who owns most of Edge Lane http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/05/littlewoods-building-edge-lane-decay.html

Sterkfontein World Heritage Site-The Cradle of Mankind.

I watched as the BBC during their World Cup reporting took time to visit a World Heritage Site that is is described as the Cradle of Mankind. Its where they found Austrolopithecus africanus (see picture above for a reconstruction of the skull). It is said that all life came from here when humankind first became erectus and walked upright. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cradle_of_Humankind It is where we first came out of the swamps and set on that long evolutionary journey to be educated caring human beings that understand their environment and are able to create monuments that will be with us for all eternity. http://www.ekala.co.za/cradle-of-humankind.html This is where millions of years of fossils have been found.

BACK TO THE SWAMPS.

And this is where we get to, in 2010. Where humankind goes back into the void of neanderthal thumpery with Liverpool City council being run by cavemen and doling out European Objective One money. 

Where Liverpool shows in 2008 when it was European Capital of Culture it has gone back into the slimy swamps and destroys a world heritage site.