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.