Liverpool Regeneration - The 20 Major Projects Changing the Face of the City

Before talking about individual projects, it’s essential to understand exactly how the city decides what areas receive massive investment. This is where the Mayoral Enterprise and Development Zones come in. In 2012, the local government in Liverpool received new powers from central government, along with a package worth £120m, that gave the City’s Mayor the ability to develop the strategic vision of the city.

Liverpool set up the first Mayoral Development Corporation outside London, which has led to the creation of several zones in the city ripe for investment. Firstly, an Enterprise Zone was created, which consists of areas such as North Liverpool and the Central Business District. These zones offer incentives for businesses to set up in the city and promote established businesses to grow. Secondly, there are Mayoral Development Zones, which include areas like the Knowledge Quarter, Stonebridge Cross, Central Liverpool, and South Liverpool.

Since 2012, around £2 billion has been invested in schemes across the development zones, which has resulted in the production of 5,000 jobs, and the safeguarding of a further 3,000. North West Regeneration is massive, and Liverpool is the centerpiece in the region’s crown.

An example of a Mayoral Development Zone, the Central Liverpool zone surrounds Edge Lane- a major Liverpool road that links the City Centre with the motorway network.

The zone is home to some of the most recognisable areas in the city. Wavertree Technology Park is one such area, which is home to some of the city’s best digital and tech firms since the 1980s. Likewise, just a short hop away is the iconic former headquarters of the Littlewoods Pools empire. The building dates back to 1938 and was initially used to process the betting slips from the Football Pools. Now though, there are plans to convert the building into a film and television production hub, which is estimated to create 350 new jobs.

Edge Lane itself has seen a staggering transformation over the past decade. £45m was spent on the improvement of junctions and the public realm, along with better pedestrian and cycle access. The area has also been newly linked to Wavertree Technology Park, via Innovation Boulevard.

Undoubtedly the most prominent development for Edge Lane though is the £100m Edge Lane Retail Park redevelopment. Now called Liverpool Shopping Park, the site offers 1,500 parking spaces and is home to some of the biggest stores and restaurants in the UK.

Central Liverpool has been completely revitalised with the latest developments, and it’s not the only development zone to have a butterfly-like transformation.

South Liverpool is a hub for industry and investment. Located near to Liverpool John Lennon Airport and Liverpool South Parkway Transport Interchange, the area benefits from excellent transport links, making the site highly sought after.

Several high-quality business parks have been introduced in the area over the last decade, which has led to the significant creation of over 20,000 new jobs. The area is home to some of the regions best-known employers like Jaguar Land Rover and Shop Direct. Back in 2009, B&M opened a colossal warehouse, spanning 600,000 sq ft and costing £40 million. It wasn’t long before they continued the investment in the area, with an additional 500,000 sq ft warehouse costing £20 million in 2013. Overall, the retailer generated 900 jobs for the site.

Development and investment have only continued to grow over the years. In 2014, a new £9 million 130,000 sq ft complex from Adient, an automotive supply company. Similarly, the Boulevard Industry Park accounts for £100 million worth of investment and has helped generate over 1,000 jobs.

Recently, the giant New Mersey Shopping Park underwent a £50 million upgrade, which saw the introduction of a ten-screen cinema, and several leisure outlets. The amount of money invested in the area has been staggering, and it has resulted in one of the biggest employment hotspots in the region.

Liverpool’s waterfront is iconic. With the Three Graces – the Liver Building, The Cunard Building and the Port of Liverpool Building – Liverpool’s Pier Head is one of the finest views around. The area, in fact, is classed as a World Heritage site and has seen staggering investment over the past two decades.

Since 2000, a reported £550 million has been provided in the area, which has lead to the production of the colossal M&S Bank Arena, Grade A office space, the 200-room Pullman Hotel, museums, restaurants, apartments, and more.

The development hasn’t just stopped there, though. Recently, a former office opposite Queens Dock has been converted to 240 apartments, costing £30 million. A second phase is also planned, with an additional £45 million spent for 257 more apartments.

Away from the waterfront comes Baltic North. The area is located between Kings Waterfront and Liverpool ONE (which will be covered in detail later). Around £32m was spent for the development of Baltic Village in 2017, with an added £200 million centred on other residential schemes.

The future looks bright for the area, with even more development opportunities in the pipeline. All in all, this Mayoral Development Zone will continue to grow as an inspiring and eye-catching area.

The city’s oldest manufacturing zone, Stonebridge Cross sits around East Lancashire Road- a major road connecting Liverpool to Greater Manchester. Its ideal location has resulted in the area becoming a top location for distribution warehousing. Home to various businesses, the site is booming. The biggest employer is Home Bargains, who have developed a mammoth facility of 900,000 sq ft, bringing the total number of workers to 1,200.

The 55-acre Stonebridge 57 development has led to planning permission for one million square feet of distribution warehousing. The area, including Stonebridge Business Park, continues to grow consistently. Parcel delivery firm DPD opened a 70,000 sq ft warehouse in 2016, and a Fruit and Vegetable Wholesale Market was opened in 2018, costing £7.3 million.

Another example of a Mayoral Development Zone, Stonebridge cross is thriving.

This Mayoral Development Zone showcases the city’s booming industrial sector. While the city continues to move towards media and tech companies in other areas, North Liverpool regeneration continues Liverpool’s industrious past with a vast expanse of dockland.

The area has seen significant levels of investment, with a considerable boost to the shipping industry with the Liverpool2 project. This superport, opened in 2016, cost a colossal £400m and is equipped with the ability to handle the world’s largest freight-carrying vessels. Liverpool has been described as Britain’s link to the world, and Liverpool2 has helped cement this belief.

Liverpool2 was one of the most significant construction projects in the UK. Around 16 acres of land were reclaimed from the sea, utilising 5.5 million tonnes of sand. The site is so large it can encompass the stadiums of Liverpool Football Club, Everton Football Club, Manchester United, and Manchester City- which can seat collectively 224,743 people.

The docks surrounding Liverpool2 are as busy as ever now and are filled with warehousing, storage and production facilities. Home to New Britain Oils and renewable energy technologies like Eco Environments and Agri UK, the industry in the area is showing exceptional growth.

But the area isn’t just home to docklands. Project Jennifer has completely transformed the area surrounding Great Homer Street. With an investment totalling £150 million, the 45-acre site has seen several developments that have created over 1,000 jobs for local people.

Named after the niece of the Auxiliary Bishop of Liverpool, Tom Williams, Project Jennifer has seen the creation of new homes, a District Centre, 900 free car parking spaces, and 80,000 sq ft of retail space, including one of the biggest food stores in Liverpool.

Acting as the catalyst for all other significant developments, the Liverpool ONE project completely revitalised the city centre and created a booming commercial hub in the heart of the city. With a mammoth price tag of £960 million, the shopping centre launched in 2008 – the same year Liverpool was crowned the European Capital of Culture. The Scheme transformed a previously run-down and uninspiring area, into one bustling with investment and shoppers.

The City Centre is now a hub for entertainment, with restaurants like Nando’s and the Odeon Cinema attracting hundreds of shoppers each day. The area is also home to some of the world’s biggest brands, like Apple, meaning there is something for everyone. Whether you want the latest tech or a bite to eat, Liverpool ONE rivals any shopping centre in the country. An improvement in transport links also followed with the creation of a new bus station, and a substantial multi-storey car park was also built during development, providing 1,900 car parking spaces. It’s estimated that Liverpool ONE has provided £1.6 billion to the Exchequer and delivered around 4,700 full-time jobs for residents. Perhaps even more impressive, Liverpool’s retail expansion rate is over ten times the national rate. Liverpool is a city continually growing, and Liverpool ONE put the wheels in motion for this rapid expansion.

A short walk from our last entry is another shopping development that predated Liverpool ONE. The Metquarter is an indoor shopping centre that opened in 2006. While It doesn’t have the headline numbers like Liverpool ONE, it is still a major Liverpool development, costing a sizeable £100m.

Previously the home of a Post Office, the site is now a 160,000 sq ft hub of leisure and retail. Spanning two floors, the Metquarter offers some of the countries finest clothing brands like Hugo Boss and Kurt Geiger. Like Liverpool One, the centre also houses a cinema, and there are also three excellent coffee shops to pick from.

There are big plans in the pipeline to develop the site further. In 2020, a proposal was announced to turn the upper floors of the Metquarter into a music and performance college. The changes would see Liverpool Music Academy (co-owned by Singer Robbie Williams) moved to the top two floors. The academy, which was founded in 2009, currently has 760 students and is located on Duke Street. These new plans though will see LMA relocated and will see the production of new recording studios, classrooms and practice rooms. This shows how Liverpool is continually changing and improving, with the city centre consistently regenerated into a thriving area promoting excellence.

You may know the next area as the home of the current Premier League champions, Liverpool Football Club, but Anfield is one of the more deprived areas in Liverpool. However, the site has been completely transformed with a surge of investment which has seen the development of new homes and retail space.

The Anfield Project aims to completely revamp and revitalise the area surrounding the world-famous Anfield Stadium. Launched in October 2012, the ambitious Scheme is still ongoing and is set to cost around £260 million with the creation of 1,000 new homes.

The development focuses on the area surrounding Anfield Stadium, which was built in 1884. As part of the project, the stadium itself has been developed. In 2016, a £120 million state-of-the-art main stand was built, which has seen the capacity of the stadium increased to 54,000. The Liverpool Football Club shop was also developed and expanded in 2017 as part of  ‘new high street’ plans. Further development of the stadium is also in the pipeline, with the iconic Anfield Road stand set for a £60m cash injection which will see the stadium surpass a 60,000 capacity.

As part of the new high street plans, Walton Breck Road, which travels past Anfield Stadium, is set to be changed entirely. The project will see the demolition of derelict buildings, in place of new retail, commercial, residential, and leisure spaces. The road itself will also be redesigned with wider pavements implemented to make the area more pedestrian-friendly.

This dream of a pedestrian-friendly area has sparked ideas for new outdoor spaces and high-quality landscaping. The vision will see new trees planted with landscaped gardens, along with larger pavement areas. There will also be areas to accommodate temporary markets and facilities for community events.

With currently £36m invested in local housing, the Anfield and Rockfield Villages have seen over 300 homes refurbished, 238 substandard and derelict properties have been demolished, and 600 new mixed-tenure homes have been built. This is accompanied by a new health centre and school, along with the refurbishment of the Anfield Sports and Community Centre.

Altogether, Anfield has been completely changed and is now the fitting home of the Premier League champions and hundreds of families.

Voted ‘Liverpool’s coolest place to live’ by the Sunday Times, the Baltic Triangle is a bustling area filled to the brim with art venues, restaurants, top-quality residential buildings, and thriving businesses. Located in the South of the city centre, the site is a hub of creativity and development with over 500 firms that employ 3,000 people. Massive investment has boosted the area since 2012, and with further plans to develop the site even more, you can be sure the Baltic Triangle is the place to be.

Some £128m has already been invested in the Baltic area, with a further £62 million in the works. These new developments are incredibly exciting and will breathe more life into a site that is already flourishing. The latest results are set to generate an estimated 800 new jobs with up to 500,000 sq ft of commercial space. The Baltic Triangle also houses over 1,000 apartments, which have been built in the past six years. An additional 500 apartments are currently in development, with a staggering 2,500 on top of that in the pipeline.

Recently, a Strategic Regeneration Framework has defined future development and investment opportunities for the Baltic area. The key recommendations from the report are

Baltic Strategic Regeneration Framework:

• Creation of a new public park titled Baltic Park
• Support for a new rail station at St James Street
• Enhancement in connectivity, with new pedestrian and cycle routes
• Creation of new green corridors which will link into the city’s £3.4 million Urban GreenUp project
• Protecting open spaces and implementing a conservation area
• Encouraging a balanced mix of housing types and homes for families

Evidently, the area will continue to thrive over the coming years. There are some exciting residential developments for investors to get involved in within the region, chiefly Parliament Square. With below-market starting prices, the luxury apartments are perfectly located within the Baltic Triangle. Liverpool currently offers some of the best rental yields in the country at 10%. Coupling that with house prices set to increase by 27.3% over the next four years, according to Savills five-year UK house price forecast, now seems the perfect time to get involved in buy to let investment.

Road quality is widely complained about in the UK, but with this flagship project by Liverpool City Council, Liverpool’s streets are set to have a makeover.

The Better Roads project covers several individual schemes that are improving many of Liverpool’s major roads. Over £500 million is set to be spent in this transformative plan, which will see roads resurfaced and widened, junctions improved, new pavements, signage and traffic lights introduced, and more priority placed on the welfare of pedestrians and cyclists.

Liverpool City Centre Connectivity Scheme- Phase One

As part of the Better Roads initiative, this plan will vastly improve several main streets in the heart of Liverpool. Work in phase one started in Autumn 2018 and is set to reach its completion in late 2021.

The need for better roads in the city has never been greater. It is estimated in the ten years leading up to 2023, the number of people visiting, living and working in the city centre will have grown by 25%. With that in mind, the following roads are being adapted to deal with this new wave of visitors.

• Lime Street: This famous street is to be reduced to a single carriageway in both directions. St George’s Plateau, found outside the striking St George’s Hall, will be extended with a picturesque new water feature added to the southern end.
• Victoria Street and Tithebarn Street: Work on Victoria street has already been completed. The area has been enhanced for public usage, with an improvement in connectivity for the city by the introduction of a new cycle link between Lime Street and Liverpool’s iconic waterfront.
• Brownlow Hill: Home to Liverpool John Moores University’s Redmonds Building, Brownlow Hill is set to be improved with a new cycle link from Lime Street to the Knowledge Quarter.
• Moorfields: Like Victoria Street, work here has already been completed. Footways in the area have been improved, along with new trees which have enhanced the entrance into Moorfield’s station.

• City Bus Hub: The latest introduction to Old Haymarket, a new bus layover with welfare facilities has been created for buses leaving Queen Square bus station. The aim has been to reduce congestion and pollution in the city centre.
• City Coach Park: With similar intentions to the bus hub, an off-street parking facility will be built as a rest area for coach drivers,
• Canning Dock Bridges: Four new bridges will be built to link Salthouse Quay with Mann Island. The land will also be opened for potential future development opportunities.
• The Strand: Links for pedestrians and cyclists between the city centre shopping areas and the waterfront leisure district will be improved in this major development. The Strand is set to be radically redesigned with 11 junctions upgraded and changed. Traffic flow will also improve, and pavements will be widened for the safety of pedestrians. In addition to this, new public spaces will be opened at the Liver Building and Mann island with 150 trees planted, and the introduction of a 1.8km segregated cycle lane.

Liverpool City Centre Connectivity Scheme- Phase Two

The ambitious Connectivity Scheme will continue with phase two, focused on the introduction of two significant new roads off Waterloo Road and Regent Road to the North West of the city centre. Phase two will coincide with phase one, having started in Summer 2018 and intending to finish work by Spring 2021.

The main goals of the project are to deal with current and future congestion in the area, along with improving access to the waterfront area, which is also under substantial regeneration projects.

The Northern Road:  This road will run from the repositioned Isle of Man Ferry terminal to Waterloo Road. Along this road, a new east-west route will be introduced located to the North of Waterloo Docks. Likewise, a new north-south road will be made, which will extend from the Isle of Man terminal to the previously mentioned east-west road. Due to these new roads, a new three-arm roundabout will be made, as well as a junction tie-in with the Isle of Man terminal and the north-south road.

The Southern Road: Similar in scope to the Northern Road, this road will feature a dual carriageway from Princes Parade to the Leeds Street/Great Howard Street/King Edward Street junction.

Princes Avenue STEP scheme

One of the major success stories of the Better Roads project, Princes Avenue has been completely revitalised into a charming and pedestrian-friendly area. This £4m Scheme is part of the Sustainable Transport Enhancement Package (STEP) and was completed in Autumn 2020.

As part of the plan, pedestrian and cycle paths were created and improved, along with new and improved toucan crossings. Furthermore, in a bid to make the area more visually pleasing, 20 trees were planted with additional landscaping work. This was accompanied by new seating places, improved lighting, and the introduction and restoration of public artwork and monuments.

To further illustrate the cities commitment to pedestrians and cyclists, a new 1km cycle path within the central reservation was installed, which is a first for Liverpool. This has formed a new green corridor to Otterspool, a planned part of the URBAN Green UP project.

Ropewalks STEP scheme

Featuring the iconic Bold Street, Bluecoat Arts Centre, and FACT cinema, Ropewalks is an area located in the heart of the city centre. Given its name for the rope-making industry that dominated the site in the 19th century, this district is set to undergo a two-phase overhaul to improve the safety and functionality of the roads. There also plans to bolster the day and night-time economies in the area.

From Autumn 2020, work will begin on Wood Street, Fleet Street, Slater Street, and Colquitt Street. Phase two, on the other hand, will encompass Bold Street and Seel Street- two of the biggest pedestrian hotspots. All in all, work should be completed by Spring 2021.

Overall, pavements and roads will be upgraded along with the installation of seating, bike racks, and bins, and lighting, amongst other minor work. Evidence suggests these upgrades will reduce traffic collisions, and critically help attract future investment.

Ropewalks has already seen a fair number of regeneration projects over the past decade. Since 2007, around £260 million has been pumped into the area, leading to the production of cafes, restaurants, bars, and businesses. Likewise, a further £12m was invested as part of a public realm improvement programme. Here, new residential, leisure, and retail uses were levered.

Coupling this with the STEP scheme, this bustling part of the city will see a further boost.

Additional work for Better Roads will encompass a £15m Scheme to tackle potholes, £25m to resurface critical roads across the city, and £160m for significant road reconstruction.

One of Liverpool’s most longstanding development projects is Festival Garden. Found on the bank of the River Mersey in South Liverpool, the former site of the International Festival Gardens has gone through a difficult few decades since it closed in 1996. Several regeneration schemes have attempted to pump life into the area, but it finally looks like the Gardens will soon thrive.

The site is found three miles from the city centre and comprises of multiple regions. Firstly, is Festival Gardens itself. It spans 25 acres and is a publicly owned community garden. The two other areas are the Southern Grasslands (47 acres) and the Development zone (28 acres).  Plans attempt to open 1,308 apartments and 66 townhouses in a development that could cost anywhere between £150m and £400m.

These ambitious plans have recently seen activity, with site investigations beginning on the area adjacent to the gardens. After almost 30 years of waiting, it could finally be time for the region to thrive.

For many, their first taste of Liverpool is Lime street. Visitors by the bucket load walk down the iconic Lime Street Station steps. First impressions are important after all, which is why £39 million has been invested in revamping the area. The development has seen the creation of a 101-bedroom Premier Inn hotel equipped with a restaurant, bar, and meeting rooms.

Also, the recently opened Grand Central student accommodation is another success story of the project. Standing at 11 storeys’ tall, the building features 412 bedrooms with cafés and restaurants.

The project also contained plans for the refurbishment of the iconic ABC Cinema. An £11 million investment would see the building feature a new TV studio as well as a performance venue capable of holding 1,500 people.

Back in May 2020, the next major Liverpool project received full planning consent. Pall Mall is set to be a top-of-the-range office space in the heart of the city, which will bring with it a new expert business community.

Liverpool City Region is part of the second-largest regional economy in the UK. Worth a mammoth £149 billion with over 236,000 businesses, the need for a continually evolving business district and office space is always high. With Pall Mall, these demands will be met.

Located in Liverpool’s Commercial Business district, the project will cost an estimated £200 million. There will be 400,000 sq ft of Grade A office space, along with a 280-bedroom hotel, retail, and leisure space, as well as green public space.

There is currently a masterplan to completely revamp and expand the Commercial District, with other desires to create a second phase of development for Pall Mall. Here, a nearby three-hectare site, currently used for car parking, will be regenerated to create additional mixed-use space. This would see the introduction of a new hotel, 2,000 apartments, as well as a new car park and leisure space.

All in all, the Scheme will span 4.2 hectares and could create over 1,000 jobs. It is estimated the Scheme would take until 2025 for completion.

A beacon of multi-culturalism in the City, Liverpool’s Chinatown is the oldest in Europe having been formed in 1860. Currently, over 10,000 Chinese residents are living in Liverpool. Undoubtedly the focal point of the area comes the Chinese Arch, a 44-feet tall archway decorated in 200 dragons and equipped with five roofs. The Arch is, in fact, the largest outside of China. It was gifted to the city by Shanghai in 2000, following the cities twinning with Liverpool.

There have been many regeneration schemes designed to bolster the area. However, some major ones have unfortunately fallen through. New plans, though, are excitingly picking up steam. The Great George Street Project will see a £170m investment into the area. Several new buildings will be built, comprising of townhouses and office space that could reach up to 18-storeys high.

All in all, the site will provide 631 residential property, 76,400 sq ft of office space, and 40,785 sq ft for shops and restaurants.

Home to the Metropolitan Cathedral, one of Liverpool’s two cathedrals, and both Liverpool John Moores University and the University of Liverpool, the Knowledge Quarter is another gargantuan project changing the face of Liverpool. The epicentre of Liverpool’s high-tech industries, the Knowledge Quarter is home to some of the greatest and most innovative minds in the country.

Containing institutions like the home of the School of Tropical Medicine, the National Oceanographic Centre, and Liverpool Science Park, the area breeds brilliance. Liverpool is currently the top UK city for computer science research and is the second-fastest-growing digital cluster in the UK.

The level of investment in the area is testament to the potential the site has to change the world as we know it. Over £2.2 billion is set to be pumped into the area over the coming years, with £600 million already injected. The Health Campus, centred on the £450 million rebuild of the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, will see even more investment with a £25 million life sciences centre and a cancer treatment centre costing £118 million.

The Knowledge Quarter is split into several distinct ongoing projects that will make the city globally recognised.

Paddington Village

Arguably the flagship project coming out of the Knowledge Quarter is Paddington Village. Described as a project similar in scope to Liverpool ONE in terms of its transformative potential, the site will see a mammoth investment of £1 billion. The Scheme is already well under-way after receiving the green light.

Spanning 30 acres, the area will feature 1.8 million square feet of science, technology, health, and education space. Previously the site of the now moved Archbishop Blanch High School, Paddington Village will prove to be one of the leading innovation districts in Europe.

Several milestones have already been reached in its developments. The University of Liverpool, one of four universities in the city, has opened its International College, which has already welcomed its first cohort of students. Likewise, the Royal College of Physician’s has opened The Spine – a £35 million headquarters, which is the first Grade A office building in the region for more than a decade.

The 160,000 square building will be one of the greenest buildings in the UK when it opens due to a low-carbon heating facility. Additionally, a pioneering proton beam therapy treatment will be utilised at the under-construction Rutherford Cancer Centre.

Liverpool Science Park

Another area that has been developed is the Liverpool Science Park. The Park is straight out of a Marvel film, with 120,000 sq ft of staggering innovative technologies. From nanotech and biotechnology, all the way to research and development into the automotive industry, Liverpool Science Park is an area that could be responsible for some of the most significant scientific findings in the world.

One of the most substantial and aspirational regeneration projects hitting the City is Liverpool Waters. Liverpool Waters is a colossal £5.5 billion project set on the transformation and reinvigoration of Liverpool’s run-down and derelict Northern docklands. When you think of Liverpool, chances are the docklands come to mind.

The city has a rich history with the maritime industry, with the globally recognised Albert Dock historically responsible for many of the countries imports and exports. As the sector crumbled in popularity though, many of the cities docklands have been left disused, and are a shadow of their former glory.

However, with this new 30-year vision, this disused and undervalued area will be catapulted into relevance again with state-of-the-art properties. The Scheme consists of five docks being redeveloped to form five fantastic new neighbourhoods. Overall, there will be 2 million sq m of residential, business and leisure space.

Princes Dock

Sitting in splendour in front of the River Mersey, this inspiring neighbourhood will become one of the most coveted residential areas in the city. The site already has access to some of the most prominent tourist attractions the city has to offer such as the Tate Gallery and the Beatles Museum. There have already been significant developments in the area, with multiple properties and a multi-storey car park. Still, work is set to be even more exciting with several new developments to be opened in the future.

Cruise Liner Terminal: Chief among these new developments is the new Cruise Liner Terminal. Planning approval is already in place to bring this impressive vision into reality. The 10,000 sq m building will be built onto the river itself via a suspended deck on steel piles. Spanning two floors, the terminal will feature a baggage hall, passenger lounge and a café. There will also a new public open space and a four-star 200-room hotel nearby. Ideally, the terminal will enhance the city’s capabilities to handle the latest generation of cruises, which can carry a mammoth 3,600 passengers. Overall, the site will span 25,900 sq m. The project recently received a delay, with those involved with the project citing a completion date of 2023.

The Lexington: Potentially a new addition to Liverpool’s already impressive skyline, this 34-storey residential building will contain 304 apartments.

Eventually, Princes Dock will feature 1,200 homes, 12,800 sq m of offices and a 580-room five-star hotel.

Central Docks

In what will be another new shining neighbourhood for the City, Central Docks will be the primary business, entertainment, and leisure district of Liverpool Waters. The area has already proved incredibly popular, hosting massive events like Creamfields Steelyard and Sound City. Around 3,800 homes will be built in the area upon completion, along with 166,000 sq m of office space, 25,000 sqm for restaurants and bars, as well as a new park.

Isle of Man Ferry Terminal: The latest flagship project coming out of Central Docks is the new Isle of Man ferry terminal. This £38m development will be the first mainland project funded by the Isle of Man government. The site will lie half a mile downriver from the current Pier Head facility, which will cease activity upon completion of the new terminal. Excitingly, the terminal is estimated to generate £3.2 million for the regional economy.

Clarence Docks

The third of the five new neighbourhoods in the Liverpool Waters masterplan is Clarence Docks. In what will be an incredibly unique and quaint neighbourhood, existing dock and water space will be utilised to provide residents with attractive waterfront views.

The area links to several impressive attractions. The Bascule Bridge has recently been restored and now links to the refurbished Titanic Hotel. Likewise, there is also a water sports centre for those residents feeling adventurous. Some 3,000 homes will be built on completion, along with 2,000 sqm of offices, 8,000 sq m of restaurants and bars, and finally 3,200 parking spaces.

Northern Docks

You may already be familiar with the Northern Docks neighbourhood. It has recently featured in several news articles as the site for Everton Football Club’s new stadium: Bramley Moore Dock stadium. Subject to planning permission, this £500m goliath will seat an estimated 52,000 people. Everton’s old stadium, Goodison Park, located a stones-throw away from Anfield Stadium, will also be regenerated as a consequence.

However, authorities have yet to decide how to do so yet. The site has already seen a £100m investment in transport infrastructure along the shore. Upon completion, there will be an estimated 5,000 sq m of retail space and 8,000 sq metres of restaurants and bars. There is also planning permission for a marina in the area, that will house floating residential and retail units.

King Edward Triangle

The city’s lesser-known Triangle, King Edward Triangle is an industrial estate and will connect the four other neighbourhoods with Liverpool’s commercial district. This fifth neighbourhood is located close to both new terminals, Liverpool Cruise Liner and Isle of Man Ferry, which will no doubt cause a huge wave of visitors to the area.

In a 2020 report, the entire Liverpool Waters project has been estimated to bring a whopping £1.3 billion of public benefits over the next 50 years.

One of the latest areas to join Liverpool is Upper Central. This project hopes to create two-and-a-half million sq ft of development space, which is estimated to generate 7,000 new jobs over the next decade. The area spans 56 acres in the city centre, and the masterplan has recently been outlined in a Spatial Regeneration Framework.

In the framework, three critical goals were outlined for the development of the area. Overall, the desire is for Upper Central to become a magnet for creative sectors like digital and tech.

Upper Central Spatial Regeneration Framework

• A vibrant new city centre district that can accommodate a mix of uses that blurs the boundaries between surrounding districts, with 2.5m sq.ft of new development opportunities and up to 7,000 new jobs.
• A new sustainable, walkable and recognisable gateway location within the city, promoting pedestrian movement, permeability, increased dwell time and a positive first impression to millions of residents and visitors arriving into the city centre at Lime Street or Central stations.
• An exemplary mix of modern design and iconic historic buildings set within a high-quality public realm that creates a sense of place, distinctly Liverpudlian and attractive to residents, visitors occupiers and investors.

The site is predicted to take until 2029 to complete, so it is something many Liverpudlians can look forward to over the next decade.

The neighbour of the Liverpool Waters scheme, Ten Streets is set to be another transformative scheme that will develop 125 acres to generate a new creative district. The site spans from the northern edge of the city centre to Bramley Moore Dock. Over one million square feet of development will occur, which is predicted to deliver around 2,500 jobs.

The development is based on ten key ideas that will shape the future of the area.

An Engine for Growth

The first idea revolves around providing additional space for businesses. Aiming to be as vital to the local economy as the Commercial District and Knowledge Quarter, the project aims to deliver an environment and workspace fit for creative enterprises.

A Cultural Stage

Fulfilling the objective for entertainment, Ten Streets will feature a state-of-the-art theatre and music venue, equipped with an advanced revolving stage. The area has already been home to some of the most significant events in the City from Kazimier, Sound City, and Cream. Ten Streets will continue this essential work and will add an extra string to Liverpool’s already impressive entertainment bow. Liverpool has been home to some of the biggest and best entertainers in the world, and Ten Streets will undoubtedly continue this tradition.

Creating new spaces

Liverpool City Region’s local government has committed to the production of new public spaces as this list demonstrates. This work will continue in Ten Streets with the commitment to make a pedestrian and cycle-friendly avenue. Additionally, there are plans for the generation of a series of public spaces, such as pocket parks, urban squares, outdoor stages, and more.

Making new connections

An improvement in transport links has been vital for Liverpool. With both the Better Roads programme, and various others, connections throughout the city will see a significant improvement for commuters, shoppers, and pedestrians. This trend will continue in Ten Streets, with additional work to ensure the new neighbourhood is easily accessible from the city centre. This will see work on the A565, as well as an investment in the Merseyrail system (the city’s railway network).

A Creative Catalyst

As part of a commitment to help generate creativity, the area will specifically allocate specific sites and buildings to start-up businesses. This will see a place that can rival the Baltic Triangle as the city’s creativity epicentre.

A Thriving Community

The area seeks to be a hotspot for commercial and creative industries, so will limit the amount of residential development within the vicinity. This will result in a focused community, that will see an emphasis on properties that are original and bespoke.

A Vibrant Destination

There are plans to ensure the area is also a leisure and hospitality hotspot. Recently, Liverpool re-opened the Titanic Hotel. The hotel on Stanley Dock is one of the city’s most iconic buildings and is found within a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Opening in July, the hotel is equipped with 153 rooms and has acted as a catalyst for investment within the Ten Streets area. The site aims to provide excellent places for food and drink to put the location on the map.

Celebrating Heritage

As mentioned, Ten Streets is home to some of the most significant and iconic protected buildings in the region. With the city’s largest listed building, the Tobacco Warehouse at Stanley Docks, there is a commitment to ensure Liverpool’s illustrious maritime past is preserved for future generations.

Embracing Innovation

Innovation will be at the heart of Ten Streets’ mission with a focus on renewable energy. The neighbourhood will embrace ‘cutting-edge style and radical architectural invention’ by the use of smart energies and digital connectivity.

A Collaborative Approach

The final piece of Ten Street’s Ten Big Ideas is ensuring collaboration during the development process. Many projects often have strict blueprints and design ideas, but Ten Streets aims to be different, providing local businesses protection as well as supporting new ones.

Overall, Ten Streets is an incredibly ambitious plan that could generate a thriving creative hub to rival any in the country.

Liverpool is synonymous with musical talent with the epicentre of the city’s musical heritage in the Cavern Quarter. Stars like the Beatles have thrust Liverpool on the global map and this has led to the city’s classification as a UNESCO City of Music. The industry is worth more than £90 million a year, so it’s unsurprising there are plans to cultivate and improve the area.

In March 2020, a project was given the green light for the development of the Cavern Quarter, including Matthew Street and Williamson Square. Home to the legendary Cavern Club, the area, is set to be considerably enhanced over the next decade. The plans were outlined in a Spatial Regeneration Framework which provided a host of recommendations.

Cavern Quarter

• Upgrade gateways into the Cavern Quarter
• Restore and enhance the character of the area including improving street furniture and building facades
• Animate blank walls and surfaces as part of a wider art and digital strategy
• Enhance attractions related to the city’s music, culture, and heritage to promote a multi-offer experience to visitors
• Activate key nodes within the quarter, which offer opportunities for events and public art

Williamson Square

• Redesign the square to include flexible performance space and enhanced public realm including seating and planting
• Refurbishment of the St Johns extension building to improve the northern elevation of the square
• Consider redevelopment of Dawson Street site if the taxi rank can be successfully relocated
• Enhance the Playhouse’s presence on the square – spill out areas, programme of events
• Activate the façade of the vacant Marks & Spencer building

Whitechapel

• Enhance the approach to Williamson Square and the Cavern Quarter via a mix of new public art, trees, lighting, balanced street principles and improved wayfinding
• Develop a strategy to celebrate and interpret the street as the original “pool of Liverpool.”

The site in total spans over 1.42 acres and will undoubtedly bolster an already thriving aspect of Liverpool’s identity.