Plans to create a new multi-million pound "Beatles attraction" on Liverpool’s waterfront are no closer to being realised 15 months after Government backing was confirmed.
In October 2021, then-chancellor Rishi Sunak said £2m would be provided to help develop the project as support for a raft of "Levelling Up" projects across the region was revealed. But the ECHO can now confirm that money has still not been received and plans for the project remain at a standstill.
The money is being provided by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) who, when approached by the ECHO, said the timeframe for providing the funding was within the 2022/23 financial year, meaning this window remains open for a few more months. They made a commitment the funding would be allocated "during the previously agreed timeframe."
But the wait means plans have not started to take shape in a meaningful way in the 15 months since Mr Sunak publicly supported the idea in the House of Commons, with then Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said to have had a hand in helping allocate the money to Merseyside.
READ MORE: The Beatles should be a gateway to contemporary Liverpool
Following the 2021 autumn statement, it was confirmed that the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority had been working on securing funding for the attraction from as far back as 2018. After the announcement, Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram reaffirmed his vision for establishing “a truly world-class, cutting-edge immersive Beatles experience”, but this emphasis on the Beatles as being at the heart of the project's purpose appeared to differ from the plans of Liverpool City Council.
The Council said the money would be used to develop the idea of ‘The Pool’, a new cultural attraction that was “Beatles included” rather than Beatles-led, and one that celebrated the region’s wider cultural offer. Work on making a business case and developing the idea was set to begin in 2022, Liverpool council confirmed previously at the end of 2021.
Following inquiries by The ECHO, it has been confirmed that none of the promised Government money has yet been received and no significant plans have taken shape as a result. The ECHO understands a large part of Liverpool City Council’s vision remains on ice, with no confirmation of how long a feasibility study would take once the money does arrive.
This could be by April if the Government meets its proposed deadline. The DCMS has said that its intentions to back the project “have not changed and the funding will be allocated during the previously agreed timeframe.”
While both Liverpool City Council and Combined Authority were initially divided on what the ‘cultural attraction’ might be, opinion was also split among locals on the need for another Beatles-related offer. Many pointed towards the outstanding issues Liverpool faced, from budget cuts to deprivation, suggesting a museum was not the best use for the funds, but Metro Mayor Rotheram previously confirmed the money could only be spent on cultural projects.
The wait to begin shaping the project brings into question what eventual vision can actually be achieved with the proposed funding - which will only go towards furthering the business case for 'The Pool'. The ECHO understands that the former Merseyside Police HQ at Canning Place was earmarked for a potential site for the attraction, but this proposal doesn't appear to have moved any further.
The office of the Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner, which manages the estate, said the building is still being decommissioned and is currently not on the market - raising questions whether it would be part of any eventual feasibility study for the project. A collection of other sites have been considered, the ECHO understands, but as of yet there has been no decision on where could house the proposed attraction.
Development costs and timeframe are still to been explored for 'The Pool', with the window to capitalise on Liverpool’s hosting of Eurovision gradually closing. The event takes place in the city in May, but both the City Council and Local Authority said they are working to capitalise on hosting Eurovision in a wider capacity, something which could influence the ambitions for 'The Pool.'
A spokesperson for the DCMS said: "DCMS agreed to provide funding to the Liverpool City Region for the initial development stage of 'The Pool' waterfront project during the 2022/23 financial year. These plans have not changed and the funding will be allocated during the previously agreed timeframe."
A joint statement on behalf of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Liverpool City Council said: "The Combined Authority and Liverpool City Council have been working closely with DCMS to unlock this funding. Activity has been progressing on scoping and consultation work for the project. Further detail will be announced in due course. We are also closely engaged with DCMS on the opportunities that Eurovision will bring to the city."
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