Liverpool, Back Before Unesco World Heritage Committee-Will We Be Stripped of World Heritage Site Status

This Month finds Liverpool 2008 European Capital of Culture back before the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Education Scientific Cultural Organisation (Unesco).

We have unceremoniously been dumped on the Unesco World Heritage In Danger list (or as one man and his dog campaigner Larry Neild, on Liverpool Confidential website flippently calls it "The naughty step)".
Liverpool has been placed on the "In Danger" list  along with the war torn city of Aleppo in Syria and various corrupted third world countries that can't maintain the World Heritage sites.
You could understand it from a poor country with little or no infrastructure but Liverpool it seems, wants to sell its WHS to the, well, lowest bidder really, Peel Holdings.
 Who do not want the little problem of their land being hindered with Liverpool’s Mercantile and Maritime past which is why we were awarded WHS status in 2004.

June 16th sees the start of the Unesco World Heritage Committee meeting in Phnom Penh in Cambodia.
The UK Government has to show to the committee, as requested in the 36th committee meeting in St Petersburg meeting of 2012, proposals to get Liverpool off the World Heritage In danger list.
The threat is for inappropriate style development, after LCC passed plans for a 5.5 billion pound development, that appears to be pie in the sky, as nearly two years later not a single brick has been laid.
We got off with being placed on the Unesco “In Danger” list in 2007 by volunteering the Cities WHS status up to Unesco......... as a test case. to show how it can be developed, old and new in harmony.
And instead we find ourselves a basket case
We have tried to stimulate a debate that would see architectural styles discussed but what has happened is, the level of debate has been hijacked by Liverpool City Council and Peels PR companies, and that debate has descended into the usual, scouse humour slang off, charade, that only stifles constructive argument, and brings it down to a level that suits the developers.
There is no problem in developing this site in sensitive manner that looks for inspiration to cities like Amsterdam.
A city that seems educated and willing enough to take the time and trouble to engage its architecturally educated public instead of having slang off in the local press. Why cant Liverpool do this as Unesco ordered it to.
Unesco told Liverpool when we escaped, by a whisker, being placed on the “In Danger” list in 2006 that it must engage the public, not keep them in the dark .
Ron Van Ours of Unesco said that in the past, the problem  was, that the Governments advisers English Heritage were supporting the schemes at the Pier Head and they could not go against them. He told told LPT and other delegates this, face to face.
Despite Sir Neil Cossons the Chairman of English Heritage, at the time working for Liverpool Museum who were developing the site, they were powerless.
Sir Neil was later given a whole Steam train exhibition to curate at the Walker Art Gallery.
Peel Holdings do not want us to have a world heritage site because it will impede their style of architecture.
The very style that saw them win Building Design’s Carbuncle Cup award of 2012 for Media City in Salford
This arrogant approach that Peel holdings have taken is in fact stopping development if they had come up with a scheme of any merit well we all would have welcomed their development,
But to propose to build Trafford Park-On-Mersey is a massive let down that those who know about architectural styles can support including EH,
Because it’s big and blingy does that suit this great city. With the clowns running the city is a debate even going to happen?
Do Peel Holdings have any finances for such a huge scheme?
This week saw Margeret Hodge call Peel Holdngs tax dodgers stating that most of their profits go offshore and we the taxpayers have funded massive profits for Peel to build Media City that they own and we have paid for. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/we-are-not-tax-dodgers-say-peel.html
Their main Chinese partner Stella Shiu was recently exposed in Private Eye as a Hong Kong bankrupt and serious questions were asked about Sam Wa or as they should e know Sam Where, because it seems nobody knows anything about them. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/stella-shiu-exposed-in-private-eye.html
Its all quite clever tactics to say we will back out of development but how serious are they about starting work.
A desired state of conservation is a sensible request from a cultural organisation.
It makes sense to show that we are a city that can combine old with new…well not if you look at the architectural anachronism that has become the Pier Head, the symbol of Liverpool’s Mercantile and Maritime past.
But here we still have an opportunity to get it right and don’t let this great city turn into Liver peel.
Is there an immediate risk of Liverpool losing WHS status?
Peel holdings don’t seem to have any capital it seems (unless its all hidden offshore). So what will Unesco do? What can they do?
It seems to me we will continue to have the shadow of removal of Liverpool from Unesco’s World Heritage List when tourism is increasingly becoming the cities main form of income.
This is an embarrassment that we cannot afford.
Would it not be common sense to make them build something the whole city can be proud of. We are not Shanghai, we inspired Shanghai’s waterfront.
Don’t let them turn our World Heritage Site into Milton Keynes-On-Sea.
We are assured that Liverpool is very much on the agenda for Unesco at this next WH Committee meeting

In a recent letter to the hardworking 'World Heritage Watchdog' David Swift from the office of Unesco WH Director Kishore Rao.

Subject: FW: Liverpool - Maritime Mercantile City (United Kingdom) (C 1180)

Dear Sir,
On behalf of Mr Kishore Rao, Director of the World Heritage Centre, I thank you for your message regarding the World Heritage property of “Liverpool – Maritime Mercantile City”.
Please be assured that a report on the state of conservation of this property will be presented to the World Heritage Committee at its forthcoming 37th session. You can consult the relevant working document on the WHC’s website (http://whc.unesco.org/archive/2013/whc13-37com-7A-en.pdf ). When doing so, you will notice that the most recent information has been taken into account in the report.
If you wish to receive the State Party’s letter on the issue, I kindly suggest that you submit the request directly to the responsible UK authorities, i.e. DCMS represented by Ms Francesca Conlon who was on copy of your last email and whom I put on copy of this message as well.
I also like to take the opportunity to inform you that Ms Patricia Alberth has recently changed jobs. You are welcome to address any question or information to me or to Ms Petya Totcharova, head of the WHC’s Europe and North America Unit.
Thank you for your interest in and commitment to the safeguarding of World Heritage.
Best regards,
Kerstin Manz

Kerstin A. Manz
UNESCO World Heritage Centre
F - 75352 Paris
Email: k.manz@unesco.org
Tel: +33 (0)1.45.68.12.02

35. Liverpool – Maritime Mercantile City (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) (C 1150)
Year of inscription on the World Heritage List 2004
Criteria
(ii)(iii)(iv)
Year(s) of inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger 2012
Threats for which the property was inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger
The proposed development of Liverpool Waters
Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger
In progress Corrective measures identified
In progress Timeframe for the implementation of corrective measures
In progress Previous Committee Decisions

See page http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1150/documents/

International Assistance N/AState of conservation of World Heritage properties WHC-13/37.COM/7A, p. 88 inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger
Previous monitoring missions October 2006: joint World Heritage Centre / ICOMOS reactive monitoring mission; November 2011: joint World Heritage Centre / ICOMOS reactive monitoring mission.

Factors affecting the property identified in previous reports

a) Lack of overall management of new developments;

b) Lack of analysis and description of the townscape characteristics relevant to the Outstanding Universal Value of the property and important views related to the property and its buffer zone;

c) Lack of clearly established maximum heights for new developments, for the backdrops of the World Heritage areas as well as along the waterfront;

d) Lack of awareness of developers, building professionals and the wider public about the World Heritage property, its Outstanding Universal Value and requirements under the World Heritage Convention.

Illustrative material See pages http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1150/gallery/   and  http://whc.unesco.org/en/soc

Current conservation issues

On 30 January 2013, the State Party submitted a report on the state of conservation of the property responding to the Decision 36 COM 7B.93 made by the World Heritage Committee at its 36th session (Saint-Petersburg, 2012). On 27 March 2013, updated information on the decision of the Secretary of State was submitted by the State Party.

Proposed development of Liverpool Waters

It should be recalled that Liverpool Waters is a major, large scale development project that is planned to be implemented over a 30-year period in an area of 60 ha covering part of the inscribed property as well as part of its buffer zone. It stretches 2 km along the waterfront from Princes Dock up to Bramley Moore Dock and includes proposals for a cluster of tall buildings within the buffer zone.

In its report, the State Party recalled that the Liverpool City Council granted consent for the Liverpool Waters scheme, and indicated that this decision was referred to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government as a result of English Heritage’s objection to the scheme and because of the scale of the proposed development. The State Party also reported that the developer had informed that, in the event that the current proposal is not approved, it may decide to abandon attempts to regenerate the area and continue with current uses that do not require planning consent.

The State Party reported that the application was referred to the Secretary of State in October 2012. At the time of the submission of the State Party’s State of Conservation Report, no decision had yet been taken by the Secretary of State. On 27 March 2013, however, the State Party submitted additional information, reporting that the Secretary of State, on 4 March 2013, decided not to call in the case. With the decision not to intervene, there are no further legal obstacles to moving forward with the Liverpool Waters scheme. The Liverpool City Council may now confirm its consent for the development scheme and the developer could then proceed with implementation.

In its Decision 36 COM 7B.93, the Committee took note of the report of the joint reactive monitoring mission which had concluded that, in terms of visual perception, the redevelopment scheme would fragment and isolate the different dock areas, instead of integrating them into one continuous historic urban landscape. The mission therefore concluded that, if the proposed Liverpool Waters scheme as outlined were to be implemented, the World Heritage property would be irreversibly damaged due to a serious deterioration of its architectural and town-planning coherence, a serious loss of historical authenticity, and an important loss of cultural significance. It also noted that the proposed development in the buffer zone would result in the modification of the functional hierarchy State of conservation of World Heritage properties WHC-13/37.COM/7A, p. 89 inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger and morphology expressed by the port circulation system (river – sluices – dock – water basins), as well as by the historical typologies of the port industrial structures and services, thus affecting the conditions of authenticity.

Conclusion
Noting the decision of the Secretary of State not to review the Liverpool Waters scheme at the national level, the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies recognize that there remains no legal obstacle to moving forward with the development project. They reiterate the findings of the joint reactive monitoring mission of November 2011, as expressed in the opinion of the World Heritage Committee in Decision 36 COM 7B.93, that the proposed development of Liverpool Waters constitutes a potential threat to the Outstanding Universal Value of the property. They also note that there have been no actions to remove the potential danger as requested by the World Heritage Committee at its 36th session. They consider that if the proposed Liverpool Waters development is implemented as currently planned, it would irreversibly damage the attributes of Outstanding Universal Value and the conditions of integrity that warranted inscription, and could lead to the potential deletion of the property from the World Heritage List.

The World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies further draw attention to the fact that the State Party has submitted neither a Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOC), nor a proposal for corrective measures to reach that DSOC, as requested by the World Heritage Committee. In the supplementary information submitted on 27 March 2013, however, the State Party has expressed its willingness to work with the World Heritage Centre and Advisory Bodies to elaborate a DSOC and corrective measures with a time frame for their implementation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger. In April 2013, consultations have been taken up by the State Party, the World Heritage Centre and Advisory Bodies accordingly. Taking into account the continued threat to the property, the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies recommend that the Committee retain the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

Draft Decision: 37 COM 7A.35

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-13/37.COM/7A,

2. Recalling Decision 36 COM 7B.93, adopted at its 36th session (Saint-Petersburg, 2012),

3. Also recalling the results of the joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS reactive monitoring mission of November 2011,

4. Notes the information provided by the State Party that the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government decided not to call in the Liverpool Waters development for consideration at the national level, and that the Liverpool City Council had granted consent to the application submitted by the developer;

5. Reiterates its serious concern at the potential threat of the proposed Liverpool Waters development on the Outstanding Universal Value of the property, and also notes that the implementation of the development, as currently planned, would irreversibly damage the attributes and conditions of integrity that warranted inscription, and could lead to the potential deletion of the property from the World Heritage List;

State of conservation of World Heritage properties WHC-13/37.COM/7A, p. 90 inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger
http://whc.unesco.org/archive/2013/whc13-37com-7A-en.pdf


6. Therefore, strongly urges the State Party to reconsider the proposed development to ensure the continued coherence of the architectural and town-planning attributes, and the continued safeguarding of the Outstanding Universal Value of the property including the conditions of authenticity and integrity;

7. Further notes that the State Party has not yet developed a proposal for the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger and a set of corrective measures and requests the State Party to pursue its consultations with the World Heritage Centre and Advisory Bodies to elaborate a Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger along with a set of corrective measures, and a time frame for their implementation;

8. Decides to retain Liverpool – Maritime Mercantile City (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) on the World Heritage List in Danger; 9. Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2014, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above,

The letter from DCMS to Unesco is of course trying to mitigate the situation that the UK Government finds itself in.
A city being blackmailed by a company that Margeret Hodge calls tax dodgers and Jack Straw calls a lot of other things.
a city being run by uncultured idiots who care nothing about dealing Heritage and are prepared to turn a blind eye to ruthless companies motives and their habitual bending of the rules.
And maybe a populace who lack the culture or the drive to do anything about it nd sit on their hands.

John Hinchliffe Tries To Shaft Us.

We predicted it was going to be a whitewash and that's what the World Heritage Officer tried.

We have it down in writing, how the meeting was to be formulated, but when we got there the double dealing Hinchliffe tried to direct us into a forum.
"You have had years to organise debates and you want one now today, there is not a chance"
Ian Wray of the world heritage steering group says "I am the chair"
"I am the table, I said, and I will not be going into any meeting being led by a council poodle"

I had already told Trevor Skempton and Peter Brown of the Civic Society, who do not have a remit on this matter, from the group, as this has not been a meeting to discuss it, I am reliably informed, that I would not be setting foot in any room with them.
David Swift stood his ground with me. Florence Gersten was already upstairs, she had been excluded from any meetings until we complained.
So Hinchliffe, who has sat shuffling paper for 5 years, now wants to turn into a negotiator.
"Not a chance" I told him "We are not being pushed around in a pram by you, like you did last time"
Hearing the noise and me throwing my arms around and telling Hinchliffe. "Not a chance, full stop you are not going to stifle what I have to say and we will only meet the inspectors privately"
Ron Van Oers who we met last time in the 2006 visit came over and said just as I said "That it I am going" waving my hands.
"Would you like a private meeting"..............."Yes"............"We will come down and see you shortly"

Hinchliffe said "Oh yes we have a spot ICOMOS UK have not turned up"
"Are there any reports on Liverpool Waters from ICOMOS UK", I asked him
"Errrr not sure, there may be", he waffled
"Of course the City Council joined them as a corporate member did they not"
"Err maybe"
So Hinchliffe, the double dealer had been telling all that the meeting was to be transparent, yet Peter de Figeuirido, the 'Opinion for hire' now working for Peel, was with the party at the Pier Head.
(He was the historic buildings advisor for English Heritage once, therefore a colleague of Henry Owen-John.
 Owen John was there, as was Graham Ives "You probably has seen my name on various reports"
Yes far too many I thought I would not trust you as far as I could throw John Hinchliffe.

The mission came downstairs, and asked us some questions about who we represent, then we told them we don't recognise any steering group and cannot trust the MCS, and told them the reasons, we advised them that Hinchliffe is a total waste of space will do anything his paymasters tell him...........and that last time you were here.......Mr Van Oers.......... you let us down badly, I told him that he failed to grasp the gravity of the situation, when the Black Coffins were under planning, The City Council then under Warren Bradley promised to protect the World Heritage Site.
"If I remember rightly there were three, the Ferry Terminal the museum and Mann Island"
"You needed to be stronger and give advice, they are all carbuncles, if that's not affecting the Outstanding Universal Value then what is" I told him. 
"We had to compromise English Heritage were in support of it"
"Yes but I told you their Chairman Sir Neil Cossons was working for the Liverpool Museums and they had promised him a steam train exhibition to curate, and Loyd Grossman the ex chair was he Museums Chair of NML"
He went on to give a long explanation and I looked at him along with Patricia Alberth and Mr Barbato who said nothing, and said
"You made a major mistake that we have to live with for ever, you got it badly wrong"
He was a bit shaken and said "Look I can assure you this time we will not be making any mistakes, this is very serious"
David Swift had handed them a print run of pictures of the Mann Island and Pier Head before and after, and there it was plain as day, architectural vandalism had occured.

Hinchliffe then came in and asked if we could finish the meeting as there was others waiting upstairs
"You have had 20 minutes"

He's so kind, the double dealing waste of space that is supposed to be employed to protect World Heritage not roll over like a fluffy poodle, and have his belly tickled by any Spiv or Speculator that wants to build anything in the World Heritage Site.

Todays paper sees Joe Anderson proclaiming we will protect our heritage.....look what we did to the Bluecoat...............knocked down Herbert Tyson Smiths Workshop, that was intact and created a plastic palace.............Warren Bradley, now Joe Anderson, Its Dumb and Dumber.

http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2011/11/16/joe-anderson-appeals-for-unesco-to-trust-liverpool-with-world-heritage-site-92534-29783939/

click on tabs below for more info 

Ron Van Oers-How Can He Show His Face Again In Liverpool?

In November 2006 A Unesco Monitoring Mission came to Liverpool at our request. The mission of two, were Michelle Bonnette and Ron Van Oers.

I had a meeting with them for 15 minutes after a long conversation in Municipal Buildings with Florence Gersten who was wrongly excluded.
She asked me to hand them documents she had written from her vast knowledge.
Then directly after, a delegation of four from the Merseyside Civic Society led by Peter Brown, who later announced that he was a supporter of the Man Island black coffins went in.
Pat Moran was part of the delegation as was anther member who I would later find out was one of the people representing the MCS who would also be representing a owner of property that would be directly affected by the Mann Island and museum proposals.
If you recall the Liverpool Museums had to pay £750,000 for loss of (our) views to one developer that owned property at the Pier Head.
So the Itinerary stated that the City Council Limousine picked the mission up, and the council afforded them meetings in quick fire successions that were presentations and led them around like poodles.
There was a lot riding on this mission but Ron & Co let us down badly.
They said that the Mann Island proposals would not affect the Overall Universal Value of the World Heritage Site………….How wrong can they be.
We were hoping that Unesco, as a last resort would advise the council against its plans that were funded by the NWDA and sponsored by Liverpool Vision, (Joe Anderson was and is a member) who employed the deplorable October Communications, now Aurora Media to come up with a publicity drive.
Jon Egan used all his skills to slime as many articles into the paper to Larry Neild, the then City Editor who now works for Egan.
Larry Neild won an award from Downtown Liverpool In Business, and guess who does their media now.
October Communications lined up presentations with Icomos UK, the City Council then become a corporate member. Heard nothing from them this time.
Now they have asked if I can attend with Peter Brown, and Ian Wray who was a planner for NWDA….not a chance.
And to think, John Hinchliffe (world heritage waste of space) is organising it.

What a joke.
The UK Government then funded Unesco in 2007 to a tune of 16% of their budget for the year. Were they bought off?
One of the problems was that English Heritage were supporting the proposed schemes…………while Sir Neil Cossons the then Chairman of English Heritage was working for Liverpool Museums. You couldn’t make this up
So Ron you have been sent back to Liverpool on the 14th to 16th November to see what has been done at the Pier Head……….will you be big enough to say you made a mistake? Will you make a statement to say so?
How can the OUV not have been effected by building three black coffins a Terminal Ferry Carbuncle and a carbuncle Museum n the WHS.
Unesco, have a new Chairman let’s hope they are not as thick as the last one.
This time English Heritage have published an independent report into the damning effects Liverpool Waters will have on the World Heritage Site.

Lets hope that Ron Van Oers does not allow the council to blindfold him and lead him around like a shopkeepers dummy………like in 2006.

http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2011/10/31/christmas-d-day-for-liverpool-s-world-heritage-site-verdict-92534-29689116/

http://whc.unesco.org/en/178/?action=detail&order=1430


http://www.vsaa.lt/Oers_sleeping_rvo.doc
 

Museum of Liverpool-Were English Heritage Corrupt or Complicit In The Ruination Of Liverpools World Heritage Site?

When the Liverpool Council planners under the Riechmarshal Lee secretly slipped in the plans for the then proposed museum in Liverpool’s world heritage site on 20th December 2005, I could not believe it, I should have been shopping for socks for my Uncle Billy, I did not even know of the proposals despite being very involved in planning matters for some time and specifically World Heritage.

Armed with a report from Icomos UK and my own speech. I SHOT OVER TO THE TOWN HALL TO BE THE LONE OBJECTOR.

No one knew about this even though the Ombudsman later cleared them because a one-inch advert appeared in the Merseymart or somewhere that conveniently nobody knew of. http://councillors.liverpool.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=307&MId=4716&Ver=4

Now click on the picture above and see the flats, in transparent pen on the Mann Island Site.  

IT WAS STITCHED UP WELL AND TRULY BEFORE-HAND.

David Irving as Chair of the planning comittee was standing in for Lady Doreen Jones the Doyenne of Disaster, he nodded it through.

I got the list of letters sent out by the council one was addressed "the Statue Pier Head" another "The Car Park" Mann Island another to a shop next to mine that did not exist and my shop did not receive one. How strange.
I thought that Peter de Figueiredo http://www.defigueiredo.co.uk/index.html  who was English Heretics historic building advisor at the time has something to answer about because his partner was the Curator of NML, Julian Treuherz. (de Figueiredo now works for Peel Holdings on Liverpool Waters)
http://www.debretts.com/people/biographies/browse/t/14373/Julian%20Benjamin+TREUHERZ.aspx
So I wrote to the Heretics under the Freedom of Information act requesting all the documents to show how a reasonable decision could have been made with our world heritage site without public consultation. Something the toothless UNESCO would later confirm was undemocratic. Henry Owen-John was and is real nuisance, he is EH Regional Development Director see picture above
Then by chance I stumbled across a strange bit of information, that the then Chairman of English Heritage Sir Neil Cossons was working for Liverpool Museums…along with ex top knob at the Heretics bureau, Loyd Grossman who was then the chairman of NML…along with the then leader of the city council the now disgraced Mike Storey (who conveniently didn’t tell anyone, in fact it appeared to be a secret)…and the Chairman of the North West Development Agency, Bryan Gray who was to fund the museum by the sale of the land to build 3 huge blocks on the Mann Island site that they owned. They were in the plans but with transparent pen.
http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/liverpooldailypost/news/regionalnews/tm_headline=controversy-as-building-plans-set-to-go-ahead%26method=full%26objectid=17867193%26page=2%26siteid=50061-name_page.html


Copy thereof
149. Declaration of Interest
The Chairman invited Trustees present to indicate whether they had any conflicting or prejudicial interests within the items of business set out below.
Not specific to any agenda items Mr Grossman advised that he may have conflicts of interest arising from his Deputy Chairmanship of the Liverpool Culture Company. Mr Gray advised that he may have conflicts arising from his Chairmanship of the North West Development Agency. Sir Neil Cossons advised the he may have conflicts of interest arising from his Chairmanship of English Heritage. Councillor Storey advised that he may have conflicts of interest arising from his role as Leader of Liverpool City Council.
RESOLVED that the Board accepts that none of these possible interests give rise to undue conflict or could prejudice the proper transaction of the business of this meeting and the Trustees concerned should not therefore be expected to withdraw from the discussions.

150. Decisions of Trustees
Permission to accept offer of £32,700,000 from the North West Development Agency
RESOLVED that the Trustees accept offer of £32,700,000 from the North West Development Agency
The list of conflicts of interest was immense one of NMLs trustees had even had a job done by 3XN the architects the strange occurrence that not a soul in Liverpool had heard of until the plans for the WHS had been approved. Despite the Conflicts of Interest, lets move on, and ignore them, they then decided.

http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/about/trusteesDotNet/meetings.aspx?tid=47

http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/tm_objectid=17112292%26method=full%26siteid=50061-name_page.html

How can you have a then Chairman of English Heritage working for the very perpetrators of WHS disaster. It should not have been allowed?

What the English Heritage series show is that if its convenient, it’s a stitch up right from the top down.
Thurley denied there was any conflict of interests after I wrote to him. Well he would, wouldn't he.

But what happened in reality was that Unesco took the nformation that English Heritage had put together as they were the Governments advisors so it was well and truly stitched.

Current trustees

http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/about/trustees/index.aspx

Neil Cossons has just written a book about Liverpool's Heritage called Liverpool Seaport City.

I hope this man can sleep at night.

Update 30.9.2021

Liverpool has now lost its World Heritage Site Status.

Don't say we didn't tell you.

Liverpools Great Land Sell Off-At The Wrong Time, For Some.

  It was several years ago that I attended the World Heritage Inscription Ceremony at the Liverpool Town Hall. I was uninvited.

I met Rex Makin there who asked me to call into his office to assist with advice on how to campaign against the then proposed Museum of Liverpool, which I did shortly after. He did not appear to like Dr David Fleming one bit.
George Downing was there I approached him and asked him if he would put up a fight against the Mann Island Developments. “I am sitting on the fence at the moment” he said. “Yes and you are going to get a sore arse” I said

He would later go on to receive a £750,000 pay out for a breach of covenant that Liverpool Museums made by blocking views of the Port of Liverpool Building that he owned. That’s what you call nicely cushioned.

Sir Neil Cossons the then Chair of English Heritage said, I remember this because I wrote it down.

“Liverpool has a wealth of great architecture and now has the opportunity to build on the strength of its world heritage site”. I shouted out “That’s what they’re doing” and several people turned to me, some aware of the impending doom that would descend on the Pier Head.

When Cossons said build on the nucleus of the World Heritage Site, there was some already taking him literally.

I spoke to a quite trendy and Tough looking bloke who said he owned or leased a large warehouse on the waterfront that he wanted to develop.

He was a big out of town developer with a standing for making things happen, creating International tourist destination, that people came from all over the world to visit, or so he persuaded me. He then went on to allege some very worrying claims.
He told me how he wanted to develop his site into a rival to his London Base.
“Well why don’t you get a planning application it needs doing up” I said.
“Councillors, he replied, I was told that if I coughed up some money it would have a clear run”
I was not amazed in fact quite the opposite it was just more confirmation of how the stranglehold on the city was being tightened by those in power.
“How much”
“60 grand” he replied. “I just cant do it, I am so annoyed”
If he was to be believed and I have no evidence to doubt his claims it just shows how the city has been run.
He is no longer around Liverpool, so his investment has gone elsewhere.
I put this forward to several local reporters who I knew quite well and it was subsequently ignored.
I have been speaking to a researcher for the BBC called Alex Ritson and this and quite a lot more information has been made available. It seems I have quite a file.
He said he is putting a FOI request in to determine the lease details for Grosvenor-pool.

Lets hope he digs a bit deeper than the local press.
I telephoned the Echo in 1985, I recall speaking to Rob Rohrer and I told him of the involvement of a then little known and up and coming councillor with a local businessman. "I cant just take your word for it" he said. "You need to dig a bit" I told him.
I later found out he was part of the Liverpool Free Press and covered a Trevor Jones expose entitled The Undeclared Interest of 'Jones The Vote' for the New Statesman.
That declaration was taken close to court by Trevors solicitor, Rex Makin, Rob told me.
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/09/trevor-jone-steps-down-good-riddance.html


Everyone in the city had a theory of what was allegedly going on.
Some of the senior journalists were in fact card-carrying members of the party.
It was 5 years later that the Sunday Times by-passed the local press and did a massive expose, that led to the councillor in question being taken to court, with his friend as co-defendant.
I recall how the defendant offered no defence and was cleared.
It was national news and brought Liverpool down to a basket case image.

This court case was over a piece of land that was claimed by the defendants had little interest to anyone.

It was claimed, in court that the only person who had taken an interest in this plot of land, alleged to have been sold on the cheap by the council, was Hitler who dropped a bomb on it.

This land is now part o the Liverpool One Grosvenor-pool Development and is worth a fortune.

And what checks will be made of the great Council Land "errr umm" Sell Off happening today under a new Labour administration.

English Heritage-Its Like The Goon Show In There.

Last night on the BBC was a re-run of a series originally broadcast to show off the work that the English Heretics do, and, to be a showcase for its then Chairman, the Little Lord Fonteroy of a director, their very own Saville Row Bazooka Joe, Dr Simon Thurley.
Instead it exposed the sham facade that is English Heritage to be nothing more than a incompetent bunch of Hooray Henry's sneering down their noses like condescending little balloons. As it where!
 http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00k89m5/English_Heritage_Romancing_the_Stone/
Here is where they, at the ministry destroy a building
You have to watch it. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00k7x6c
The Ministry of country walks showing just how dumb they are.
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/05/dr-simon-thurley-and-restoration-of.html
Here is what I wrote about it at the time.

Next weeks is even worse. Basil Thurley sets out to build a historic garden as a present for his wife, with our money despite there being no evidence that there was ever one there. Here is the original review.
  http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/05/simon-thurley-chief-english-heretic.html
It seems to be the Heritics make up their own rules.

http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/07/english-heritage-dumber-and-dummer.html
While allowing the destruction of Liverpools world heritage site.
 http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/06/english-heretics-report-what-load-of.html
While complaining of how difficult a job they have.
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/07/henry-owen-john-same-old-english.html

Now there are secret meetings with Peel Holdings where deals are already being done behind closed doors.
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/07/liverpool-waters-english-heritage-hold.html

http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/07/joe-anderson-backs-peel-holdings-wirral.html
Where ex English Heretic employees now are ...advisors http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/04/who-polices-heritage-police.html

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

Two Faced Liverpool Museums-Will Alsop Declares.

And Mike Storey has Twelve. The disgraced ex council leader has a face for everyone...when it suits him, or his mentors Trevor and Doreen Jones who passed all the plans for the three black coffins at Mann Island.
Moving on from my questions to Will Alsop. It is clear the Development Cabal have taken another hit here. Showing up the "cosy" relationship between the North Vested Interest Development Agency and Neptune Developments.
But we must not forget that Storey was on the NWDA committee, he was also the Council leader. He was also on the board of Liverpool Vision and was a trustee of Liverpool museums.
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/06/wayne-colquhoun-asks-will-alsop.html


Today David Bartlett take the time to tell the news where it is.
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news//tm_headline=architect-will-alsop-criticises-liverpool-s-8216-mediocre-8217-waterfront-buildings%26method=full%26objectid=26753889%26siteid=100252-name_page.html

THE ARCHITECT behind the failed Fourth Grace scheme has launched a withering attack on the buildings that are being built in its place on Liverpool’s waterfront.


Will Alsop, whose company designed the Cloud, said the buildings the city has “ended up with ... lie in the general malaise of architectural mediocrity that we find so popular with the current architectural press”.
He added: “In the end, this is all history but I do believe that Liverpool deserves much better than it got, whether it was my building or not.”
Three glazed black blocks in the Mann Island development and the new Museum of Liverpool are currently nearing completion at the city’s Pier Head where the Cloud would have been built.
Mr Alsop also hit out at the National Museums Liverpool (NML) for the organisation’s role in the collapse of the Fourth Grace, saying it had its own agenda.
He also claimed the North West Development Agency (NWDA) had pulled the plug on the project to meet a shortfall in funds for the ECHO Arena and BT Convention Centre.
The architect also claimed the city council had used its planning department as a “stalling device.”
His comments, during an online architectural webchat, have resurrected the row that erupted after his Cloud building was sensationally scrapped in July 2004.
The decision to abandon the project was made after it emerged that projected costs had risen by almost £100m.
Last night the council, the NWDA, and Neptune Developments who are building the three blocks rejected Mr Alsop’s claims. NML declined to comment.
Steven Broomhead, NWDA chief executive, said it was untrue that the scheme had been stopped because of a funding shortfall on the arena and convention project.
He said: “The public sector partners involved in the Fourth Grace – Liverpool City Council, Liverpool Vision, National Museums Liverpool and the NWDA – jointly concluded that the project had become unviable due to increasing costs and fundamental changes from the original scheme.
“The estimated cost had risen from £228m to £324m and there was a massive increase in the residential element of the project, which focused on ‘form’ not sustainable functions.
“All this was likely to have resulted in the scheme being called in, causing lengthy delays in making progress on the site.”
He said the partners had been determined to deliver a “world-class” scheme, adding: “The new Museum of Liverpool, extension to the canal link and complementary mixed-use development will deliver a major iconic visitor destination, as well as delivering significant economic benefits to Liverpool, Merseyside and the entire region.”

Steve Parry, chief executive of Neptune Developments, said Mann Island is a development of “exceptional quality” and had won many plaudits from the Commission for the Built Environment (CABE), English Heritage, and commentators like Stephen Bayley.
He said: “The appeal of the development to investment institutions, and commercial and residential occupiers is undoubtedly connected to the originality of a design.
“Will Alsop is renowned for his colourful and highly individual opinions.
“I think Will should actually come up and see the buildings before judging them.
“As he knows only too well, two dimensional images rarely do justice to visionary architecture.”
A council spokesman said its planning department had raised legitimate concerns regarding the Cloud’s design.
He said: “This was not a stalling device nor was it the reason the project did not happen.
“That was because Šthe estimated cost of the scheme spiralled to nearly £100m more than the original figure and that the scheme’s character changed fundamentally from what was originally envisaged.
“This included a proposed massive increase in the residential element of the scheme – doubling the original number of apartments to 700, and 200 apartments in the Canning Dock.”

The Cabal defend English Heritage...well http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/05/sir-neil-cossons.html who was also a trustee of Liverpool Museums. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/04/who-polices-heritage-police.html
And CABE http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/06/cabe-who-funds-them.html

Bryan Gray the Chairman of the NWDA was also a trustee of NML.

They are All Shysters together as far as I am concerned, they who destroyed Manchester Docks http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/03/manchester-docks-obliterated.html and who is Stephen Bayley anyhow to comment on a city he left decades ago.

Liverpool's World Heritage Site-The Memory.

Memories are made of this. How can you be allowed to build over a World Heritage Site with UNESCO standing by and watching? Click on the photo to enlarge, and enrage. If you go down there today it is a much differing picture. How did the English Heretics advise for this?. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/05/sir-neil-cossons.html Is it because they were corrupted? http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/04/who-polices-heritage-police.html

 Because Unesco are funded by the DCMS and 15% of their funding comes from the UK permanent delegation to UNESCO. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/11/loyd-grossman-lectures-us-on-heritage.html Just take a look at what it used to look like.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLYXCI466xs&feature=related

Museum of Liverpool-Are the Trustees out of Control

This is the BBC reporting on NML having to pay for the privlidge to destroy our world heritage site.
I wrote to the Director of NML asking about restrictive covenants relating to the Pier Head. I was refused information. It now transpires NML and its trustees knew all along that the site had restrictive covenants and have had to pay off Downing the owners of the Port of Liverpool Buildings. I do not think this is finished here as we believe that there are further covenants and an act of Parliament which we are now looking into.
Trustees at the time where Chair Loyd Grossman OBE, the Chairman of the North "Vested Interest" Development Agency (NWDA) who are funding the job Bryan Gray MBE. Bryan Gray was in fact interviewed for David "Fuzzy Felt" Flemings job as director. Sir Neil Cossons who was then the Chair of English Heretics, so it got past the heritage bods, oh and Mike "Spiv me another one" Storey the then council leader. Who had to resign when he had to resign as council leader in disgrace. How very cosy this whole nest was feathering Downing with yet more cash. Lorrainr Rogers was a trustee as was Alexis Redmond wife of proffesional scouser Phil Redmond oh and the Earl of Derby

A Travelodge for Liverpools World Heritage Site. Only in Liverpool Could This Happen.

Another Landmark building coming soon, the hoarding, which must have cost a fortune, proclaims. Another ad-sign on the other side of the old Coopers bar which closed a couple of years ago despite protests from the lessees to keep it open (Sunday was a particulary busy afternoon with Cy Tucker a old favorite, in some quarters, did his gig there) advertises the grand job they are all doing for us. This site was another CPO job by the North Vested Interest Development Authority. (NWDA). http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/01/north-west-development-agency-shysters.html Directly opposite the Mann Island Development where the "Vested Interest" Development Quango gave away a plot of land worth 15 million for 3.25 million pounds. This can only be described as a conservative estimate by the shysters involved in the deal. I find it hard to believe that a site claimed to be worth a finished site value of 300 million pounds could be lied about in such a way as to devalue its worth to suit a few. Correspondent does another exellent article about the landmark building coming soon............a Travelodge...yes a Travelodge, has anyone seen the quality, or lack of quality, of the Travelodge chain.  http://condensedthoughts.blogspot.com/2010/01/hotel-reservations.html Correspondent calls it Hotel Reservations and usually critical to the Oldham Hall Street Brigade he picks up on the fact that even they are against this one. http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/views/our-view/2010/01/20/liverpool-s-world-famous-waterfront-needs-better-than-another-budget-hotel-100252-25637804/ Even those dimwits at the Oldham Echo and the blind people at the Daily Ghost can see through this one. I noticed a lampost notice last Tuesday which states they are giving a small triangle of our land, pavement, to the developers. All objections have to be in by the 21 January, which was two days away after it was posted. What chance have you. This really is a city run by spivs who give away our land to their mates who have snuggled up to them. It is bad enough having a tacky travelodge in such a location but giving the pavement away is one step too far, or one too less as the case may be.

The Planning App and its Chris (The Riddler) Ridland dealing with another dodgy application, again, with The Reichmarshal Lee's our planning nightmares, thumbprints all over it.

The Application is 10F/0029 The planning departments number is 0151 233 3021.

The spivs have told Unesco everything is alright, it is far from it. www.liverpool.gov.uk/Environment/Planning is the portal they claim you can find all the details at.............bet it does not say they have spivved the pavement away in front of our noses with no objections because no-one knew anything about it. We could write to Colin Cover Up the Liverpool Chief Executive but as part of the Executive Board, he has already passed this I am sure and now its a case of banging it through.

Through all those dark years of depressing times all I needed sometimes was to see our majestic world heritage site to believe in myself, to think that it could be done here in Liverpool we have got a start above other towns. When Sir Neil Cossons http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/05/sir-neil-cossons.html the then Chairman of English Heretics, at the symbolic unveiling of the WHS inscription. "This is some achievement, now we have to build on what we have at the World Heritage Site" surely he did not mean it.

NWDA to Probe its Own Land Sell-Off to Neptune Developments. Now Does That Make Sense?

This is how it was. Liverpool the Venice of the North, those magnificent views, so good we were made a world heritage site. A WHS for what our forebears left us. This had view survived by sheer miracle, that was the words of Graham Fisher the Chairman of the local Victorian Society during his elegant and passionate speech opposing the plans to develop the site by Neptune Developments at the planning committee that Lady Doreen Jones the Dame of Disaster http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/03/undeclared-interest-of-jones-vote.html  passed by a casting vote and then buggered off to where she lived just outside Chester with Clever Trevor the property developing ex Lord Mayor. Never should this have been allowed. All the power was with the NWDA who run the Government Office North West who report to the DCMS who are guilded by the English Heretics http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/05/sir-neil-cossons.html with their c****pted officials doing deals to further their careers. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/05/henry-owen-john-english-heretic.html see a couple of posts we did earlier http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/04/who-polices-heritage-police.html Peter de Figueiredo…. English Heretic is now I am informed employed by Peel Holdings. What good is all the money in the world if you sell your soul.

Now it is reported (badly) by the Daily Ghost that the whole of the land deal is to be investigated http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2010/01/19/northwest-development-agency-to-probe-liverpool-waterfront-land-sell-off-92534-25630638/ It is reported that the NWDA is to probe Liverpool Waterfront land sell off............which they did , how can this be right.  http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/search/label/NWDA and why are they continuing with the same old. They are funding Carbuncle after Carbuncle in the WHS. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/07/mann-island-funds-new-museum-its-fact.html

Who-ever called themselves, falsely, a reporter who put the Daily Ghost article together does not have a clue as the figures they quote as they do not add up niether does the article make sense. It appears to be another NWDA press release packaged as a damage limitation by the Daily Ghost. We thought they were getting a bit better this year but they just do not have the journalistic skills.

Loyd Grossman-Lectures Us On Heritage, After He Helped Destroy Manchester Docks.

The country’s leading heritage organisations — including the National Trust, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, Save Britain’s Heritage and Historic Royal Palaces — will next week issue an election manifesto calling for sweeping reforms to the sector.

Following a major consultation of its members, umbrella group Heritage Link, which represents more than 75 NGOs, will use its annual heritage day this Wednesday to challenge the three main political parties to end neglect of heritage.
It will propose measures including legislation to streamline heritage protection, fully restore levels of National Lottery support, investing in local authority expertise and cutting VAT on repair and restoration.
Heritage Link has a secret weapon in the form of Lloyd Grossman, the media personality and former chairman of National Museums Liverpool, who will be unveiled as its new chairman at the event in London’s King’s Cross.
Speaking exclusively to BD, Grossman revealed that culture secretary Ben Bradshaw, conservative shadow minister Ed Vaizey and Lib Dem shadow minister Don Foster, would all take part in what he called a “hustings”. http://www.bdonline.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=3154002
He said: “It’s now a very important time for the heritage sector to really begin speaking in a more co-ordinated, articulate and forceful way.”
But Heritage Link’s ambitious move was dealt a preemptive blow after Vaizey, whose Tory party remains well ahead in opinion polls, poured cold water on the plans, calling the main proposals “unrealistic” because of the recession and impending cuts in public spending.
Read more: http://www.bdonline.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=3154002#ixzz0YL8bSqnu

Well another high profile career building manifesto from professional heritage people.

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news//tm_headline=--8216-they-are-concreting-on-top-of-our-history--8217-&method=full&objectid=19098034&siteid=50061-name_page.html
So Loyd Grossman who as the purveyor of world heritage disaster at National Museums Liverpool, in the ultimate destruction of Manchester Docks along with the other vandals at English Heretics of which he was once Chairman. They all rode the Bulldozer that did the sod cutting for the foundations of the new Carbuncle Museum in the WHS. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/03/manchester-docks-obliterated.html

Asking why Unesco are inefective http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/03/why-are-unesco-so-inefective.html Unesco say English Heretics are the government advsors yet the then Chairman of the Heretics Sir Neil Cossons was working for the museums. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/05/sir-neil-cossons.html How did they get away with this.
As was another one of their heritage spivs.  Peter de Figueiredo who is now allegedly adising, and I use that term loosley Peel Holdings http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/04/who-polices-heritage-police.html
I once told Loyd Grossperson that architecture is not like making a sauce and the ingredients were certainly a bad mix with him and David "Fuzzy" Felt Fleming who he got away from at the earliest he could. Grossman should be held to account for his involvement in WHS destruction not rewarded with another cushy Quango post.
http://www.bdonline.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=3129300 Amanda the editor of BD gives concern to government lack of responsibility.
http://www.bdonline.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=3152428
In the meantime Liverpools listed heritage continues to be in perilous condition and the WHS is being taken apart till it is now a joke of what was left us by our forebears.

Is the Daily Post Turning into the Morning Museum

Here is a little task...see if you can identify the picture on the left. You may be able to click on it and enlarge it. Clue, it is not the entrance to any public toilets. Or a new-town shopping centre. You may be able to see the tacky artex job and the glistening twiddly things hanging on the entrance door, oh and the lack of architraving on the small door frame. Someone has really tried hard to not make a finished job out of this.
In the words of Loyd Grossperson..."Who work's in a place like this"?

So yesterdays Morning Museum did all it can to promote NML. If this was not a PLC it would be easy to think, it is as if one of the directors of Trinity "Smoking" Mirrors Group is a personal friend of Fuzzy Felt Fleming. It is that obvious that they want to promote NML.
There was three articles all good news items. The one that got me was about the new eatery in the Maritime Museum and how wonderful it will be. It is as if the NML press officer Clare Ryder has phoned up Vicky Anderson and said how wonderful it is and a story was plucked out of it without a thought.
http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2009/08/11/maritime-to-dine-at-liverpool-museum-92534-24366030/ I telephoned David Bartlett as chief reporter several weeks ago and advised him of the impending disaster of the loss of the Herculaneum pottery in order to make way for seats for a cafe. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/06/david-fleming-srikes-again-will-someone.html Our history, Our Culture being put in permanent storage for seats for a cafe its a disgrace. Not a mention of this disaster, just good news from the Morning Museum.
Then, Hey more good news http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2009/08/11/ldp-legal-hill-dickinson-secures-500-000-energy-bill-saving-for-new-museum-92534-24366116/ and then there is more, http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-life-features/liverpool-arts/2009/08/11/the-pre-raphaelite-brotherhood-the-artists-that-changed-the-face-of-painting-92534-24365607/

Fuzzy Felt Phleming, NML director is an avid reader of this blog and having contacted Mark Thomas the editor of the Daily Museum to tell him that I have been criticizing him he has now seen that there is a window of opportunity to have the Post on his side by the relaxation of the recent legal threats. "See I told you what he was like" he would have said. "Look what he has said about you Mark" My one dissapointment for being banned from the Daily Post is I will not now be able to remind the journos of the destruction of Manchester docks or the ruination of Liverpool's historic ferry bell. And there will be more> http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/04/national-museums-liverpool-destroy.html
They will be telling us we have won a lottery award soon. Well if the deceitful plan works to get people to click on the website so it artificially inflates the figures, they will. Here is a copy from NMLs internal magazine the INSIDER advising staff what to do. So that's how it works?

-----Original Message-----
From: INSIDERSent:
Wed 05/08/2009 14:12
To:
Everyone
Subject: We need your help!
Good afternoon
We're asking all staff to get behind our latest campaign. The International Slavery Museum has now reached the finals of The National Lottery Awards and we need your support! Please copy and paste the text below and email it onto friends, family and contacts. Feel free to personalise.
Email template:
Dear ...
I'd like to let you know that NML's International Slavery Museum has reached the finals of The National Lottery Awards 2009. We're the only Northern project in the Best Heritage Project category, and competing against just two other projects for the chance to win the award, decided by the public. I'd be very grateful if you could take a minute out of your day to vote for us!We need your help - voting has been reset to zero for this last stage and with your support we now have a chance to win the award. If you believe that the International Slavery Museum deserves support in its stance against racism then there are two ways that you can vote:* Online by visiting the http://www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards/ and selecting the Best Heritage Project category* You can telephone on 0844 686 6957 (calls costs 5p from BT land lines).Voting closes at midday on Friday 14 August 2009.
Many thanks,

Oh and talking about black role models. The black guy I recently wrote about who spoke up against His Flem-ness at a recent Maritime museum speech he gave, is not working there....It is alleged his contract was not renewed. They didn't print that in the Daily Museum did they? Or the fuss he kicked up over his parking ticket at the Albert Dock.

Oh yes back to the picture at the top of the page where is this? Got it yet?
Well it is the entrance to the World Museum on William Brown Street.....yes, The World Museum the pathetic person running the place has just grabbed a tenth of a billion pounds of public money spending 40 million on this proclaimed and reported, new tomorrow, for THE WORLD MUSEUM proclaiming he is bringing it into the 21st century......... and he artexes the foyer.
It doesn't stop there it is like Alcatraz inside where two tragic deaths have occurred in recent dates. All there seems to be is screaming kids running round with crayons its like "The Wacky Warehouse". It is a mess the signage looks like the same as the Estuary Retail Park in Speke.



This is the entrance from outside re-designed with rusting gates. What is the point? I am ashamed of this image to visitors, this represents my city. How did they get this past English Heritage......Oh Sir Neil Cossons the then Chairman of EH was a trustee of NML as was a previous one Loyd Grossman. Did they print that in the Daily Museum, No. http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2009/08/10/museums-impact-on-liverpool-s-economy-92534-24357764/ So when the people are grabbing any headline they can from the Feltman and his cronies at NML telling us how many visitors they bring in. Just think how many are laughing at us and saying "A world class museum and some stupid twasser artexes the entrance". Clever Man Mr Fleming, Clever Man.

Urban Splash....Are They Drowning in Debt?

Our Architectural Saviours Urban Splash are now in talks with their bankers to ensure that it does not breach its banking covenants. They have promoted themselves as the darling boys of trendy heritage.....milking the public grant system.... in my opinion. I personally put a lot of time into saving the Littlewoods Building from demolition when I picked up a planning application to demolish it. They were supposed to have acquired it but it seems they have now abandoned the project. The same seems to be happening at the derelict Cinema in Lime Street used as a hoarding for 2008. What a mess they helped create along with those English Heretics at Park Hill in Sheffield. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/05/dr-simon-thurley-and-restoration-of.html They also have just recently completed the Midland Hotel in Morecambe. I had a private tour round the building with Bill Maynard and suggested I place an advertisment, in the Antique trade gazzette after the theft of a balustrade section with a seahorse upon it designed by Eric Gill. It was some months later at a live Radio Merseyside debate that Bill told me someone had walked on the site with it..no questions asked and gave it back. I was pleased "Right you can pay me for the advert now" I said, "Oh did we not pay you" he said sheepishly. "we will send you a cheque". There may be a few other schemes of theirs on hold while Tom Bloxham can well ride it out in his mad looking futuristic 1960s pile in the south of France.

Johnathan Falkingham who along with Tom Floxham founded the company. Falkingham is a trustee of National Museums Liverpool. Urban Splash did a competition scheme for the original museum competion for our Pier Head marketed by October Communications. The competition was for a Fourth (sic) Grace that architect madman of "Cloud" Cuckoo-land, Alsop won in a council stitch up, with the glass pie in the sky. They both then went on to do a sheme called "Cheep as Chips" together. Someone from Urban Spash said about Alsop. "He should be in an institution he is as mad as a hatter". http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/buildings/residential/chips-new-islington-manchester-by-alsop-architects/5202419.article

So Falkingham, eventually as part of NML along with the then Chairman of English Heritage, who turned a blind eye, managed to destroy the World Heritage Site anyhow with the museum that is funded by building those three black granite grotesques next to it, that Doreen Jones cast her vote as chair of planning committee to rubber stamp.

Splosh!!. Big Belly Flop!! Tools are now well and truly downed “The directors believe that based, upon dialogue with these lenders, it is unlikely that the banks would demand facilities to be repaid in the next 12 months and that those due for renewal will be satisfactorily renegotiated" Falkingham said. In the year to 31 March 2008, pre-tax profits ballooned 58% to £4.9 million on turnover up 9% to £62.1 million.

Yes and most of that was because they had learnt how to milk more money from the public purse.

When the going gets tough Urban Splash get going.