Central Docks will be the largest of the five planned neighbourhoods at Liverpool Waters, and this planning application will directly enable the delivery of thousands of new homes, alongside commercial, retail, leisure and community developments. As such, this planning application is a substantial step forward and demonstrates Peel L&P’s commitment to the regeneration of the city’s northern docks.
The proposals outline Peel L&P’s plans to create a world class environment that has sustainability, biodiversity, and heritage at its heart. They include new street infrastructure, green spaces, the development of Central Park, and public realm areas north of Jesse Hartley Way. They will also significantly improve connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists from the city centre and Princes Dock through to Everton’s new stadium at Bramley Moore Dock and the city’s northern docks.
If approved, Central Park will become one of the city centre’s largest green spaces at 1.9 hectares (or 4.7 acres) and will include the planting of over 1,000 trees. The park has been designed to provide a unique, world class environment that celebrates the site’s post-industrial heritage and its coastal locality.
The proposals for Central Park also include plans for coastal woodland planting, wetland planting, community gardens and open parkland. Shelters and canopies, areas for sport, recreation and fitness, and spaces designed to support local wildlife have also been included in the plans.
Public realm and street infrastructure in the surrounding Central Dock neighbourhood will include a series of green streets and rain gardens, high quality footpaths and a variety of street types to support vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists.
As part of the Mersey Forest, tree cover will be increased by around 10% across the Central Dock neighbourhood and up to 30% along key road and rail corridors, linking the city’s green spaces together.
Chris Capes, Peel L&P’s Development Director for Liverpool Waters, said: “This is a very exciting moment for Liverpool Waters as the submission of this planning application is critical to the development of Central Docks. These proposals are significant for Liverpool and the North West, and will enable development of the whole neighbourhood over the next ten years. At the same time, we are setting a quality benchmark for all new public realm in later phases of Liverpool Waters.
“In this planning application, which incorporates the feedback we have received from the local community and key stakeholders in our recent consultation and engagement exercise, we have set out how we plan to bring the Central Docks neighbourhood to life.
“The design and development of Central Docks and Central Park is significant because it is such a large area that will enrich the lives of everyone in Liverpool as well as the millions of people who visit our great city every year.
“We want the Central Docks neighbourhood to be a sustainable location that the local community are proud of, where they want to enjoy and spend time and where they can feel Liverpool’s connection to its industrial dockland heritage.
“If planning is granted by the Local Planning Authority, delivery of the park and strategic infrastructure will enable the delivery of the individual development plots within Central Docks over the next 10 years.”
The consultant planning team for this development includes: Planit Ie – Master Planners, Landscaping and Urban Design, Visualisation; Arup Planning – Planning Consultant; Walker Syme – Project Management; John Sisk – Infrastructure and Design; Curtins – Civils and Structures; Hannan’s – MEP; Hatch – Social Value; Safer Sphere – CDM; RSK – Ecology, HRA, Aquatic, Noise, BNG; Rob Burns – Heritage; Civic – Transport; Social – Consultation and Engagement.
