The team behind the multi-billion pound Liverpool Waters project are promising 2023 will be “a huge year” with a number of developments expected to progress.
The enormous regeneration scheme has been in the works for more than a decade and is aiming to transform the post-industrial landscape in the city’s north docks. Outline planning permission was granted in 2012 and enables Peel L&P to bring forward its own developments or work with partners developing on the Liverpool Waters site.
The full site stretches from Princes Dock all the way up to Bramley Moore dock where Everton FC's new stadium is being constructed. In the first decade of the project, a range of office and residential developments have sprung up around Princes Dock, but large portions of the central dock area - facing across from the Tobacco Warehouse and the 10 Streets district - have largely remained derelict.
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Peel has previously faced criticism for the speed of its development but told the ECHO in the summer that the project is working to a “30 year outline planning permission and we are absolutely focussed on delivering the next 20 years on site.” The developers, which have helped shape parts of Salford Quays and are overseeing Wirral Waters across the Mersey, are now hoping to see developments progress across the site in 2023.
One aspect of this will be furthering plans for a green space that will be at the centre of a proposed central docks neighbourhood. A planning application for the 4.9 acre park, to be built on derelict land between Waterloo Dock and Collingwood Dock, was submitted in October with a decision expected from Liverpool Council’s Planning committee by February.
At Waterloo Dock, work is expected to begin in the spring on another residential development by Romal Capital, which has already delivered a number of schemes in the area. The development will bring 330 homes and retail space but had previously been met with stiff opposition for a number of years.
The Save Waterloo Dock campaign group, largely based in the nearby grain warehouse, campaigned against the plans for a number of years, seeing the proposed size of the development gradually reduced. Liverpool Council’s planning committee rejected the proposal for the 330 homes in January 2022, but this decision was overturned by the Government’s planning inspectorate later in the year.
Also in the spring, a new collaborative workspace called Arrive is set to be launched in Princes Dock. This will be followed by announcements of new retail brands moving into the area.
One of the key projects across the Liverpool Waters site is scheduled for completion in 2023 with the opening of the Isle of Man Ferry Terminal. Built on the edge of Waterloo Dock, the £73m project is the Isle of Man Government’s first development project away from its own shores and is expected to be completed in summer 2023.
A pedestrian link bridge from Princes Dock to the terminal is also set to be completed. The project has been hit by delays, with Covid a big factor in recent years, and has seen its costs almost double since first approved, but will be a key addition to the area once up and running in the summer.
Works will also continue to take shape at the north end of the Liverpool Waters site as Everton’s new stadium progresses. The skeleton of the structure has now largely been completed, with the overall project aiming to be ready for summer 2024.
Chris Capes, Director of Development for Peel L&P’s Liverpool Waters commented: “2023 will be a huge year for Liverpool Waters with a range of exciting developments in all stages of the project pipeline.
“Princes Dock will see new tenants bringing something different to the neighbourhood. From leading retail brands to medical facilities to flexible workspaces for start-ups, Princes Dock will have even more to offer. The Isle of Man Ferry Terminal will be a major asset for Liverpool and the wider region, and its opening in the summer will be a fantastic moment for the city.
“With the completion of the ferry terminal, Romal’s £100m development of 330 new smart homes, retail spaces, amenities and incredible public realm starting onsite, and planning approval for the new park and infrastructure, the Central Docks neighbourhood will also see significant progress in 2023.
"As Everton FC continue to make incredible progress on the new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, 2023 is set to be a big year for Liverpool Waters.”
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