MIPIM 2019 – spotlight on Liverpool Waters

Liverpool hit the headlines at this year’s four-day international property festival, with lots to talk about on what has been happening in the last year at Liverpool Waters, and what is in the planning.Central Docks has seen significant development with the start of a new £9 million road link from Regents Road to access Central Docks, named Jesse Hartley Way.  This coincides with the completion of Quay Central which comprises of 108 1 and 2 bed apartments and the start of construction of phase 2 of the Romal Capital’s development, Park Central.Further North at Liverpool Waters, news surrounding Bramley Moore Dock and Everton FC chief executive Denise Barret-Baxendale took a central role in both the future home of the club and the development of a new City Centre station.Everton FC confident on securing funding for new stadiumDenise Barret-Baxendale confirmed that Everton FC has no option but to progress with a new home and that the stadium planned at Bramley-Moore Dock is crucial to the future of the club. According to the chief executive, the club is “the most confident it has ever been” on securing the funding, even though costs have increased to around £500m.While positivity about funding and delivery of a new stadium abounds, they are keen to avoid a call-in for the planning application. The club is taking steps to reassure people that the design team are respecting the development’s role in the waterfront’s UNESCO World Heritage Status over concerns about the impact of the stadium and its potential capacity for up to 60,000.200-year lease already agreedHowever, a lease agreement has already been completed with Peel L&P for Everton FC to assume a 200-year lease on the dock, subject to planning permission, and completion of the new stadium has been pencilled in for 2023.Although Goodison Park will be demolished, Barrett-Baxendale has said that the former stadium site represented “a big opportunity for the football club to do something unique, with education, housing, retail, and healthcare all potential options”.Commission created for new city centre rail stationSteve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, has announced that the City Region has given Denise Barret-Baxendale the responsibility for putting together a team of experts from transport, business and the public sector to form a commission, whose remit will be to take forward all the key considerations in developing the new station.A world-class transport hubThe plan to connect the Liverpool City Region to HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Railwas included in Transport for the North’s Strategic Transport Plan earlier this year. The plan also included suggestions for a new station to accommodate more modern trains, increased passenger numbers with a view to becoming a world-class transport hub.Rotherham stated, “What we envisage is more than just a station and a world-class transport hub, it has the potential to be a destination in its own right, architecturally stunning and featuring leisure and recreation facilities, commercial, retail, high-quality office accommodation, residential facilities and much more.”Full connection to HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail would ensure that the Liverpool City Region would benefit from shorter journey times (Manchester to Liverpool would be reduced to 23 minutes) and increased passenger capacity, and according to Steve Rotheram boost the economy by £15bn.According to the Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson the City will be seeking government funding to support delivery of the project, which is estimated to cost £6bn including the cost of the track to connect to HS2 and take about ten years to complete.