Liverpool consults on £50m cruise terminal plans
Liverpool City Council is hosting a two-day public consultation this week on proposals for a £50m permanent cruise terminal facility on the River Mersey.
The project would involve the controlled removal of Princes Jetty and construction of a new terminal within a “statement” building, on a suspended deck structure in the Mersey.
Residents and business are invited to view and discuss the proposals with the project team on Wednesday 20 and Thursday 21 September, within the arrival hall at the Cunard Building, Water Street, between 2pm and 7pm.
This year Liverpool welcomed more than 60 vessels, with 120,000 passengers and crew, but the council said it wants to capitalise on the cruise boom by creating a new passenger and baggage facility with passport control, lounge, café, toilets, taxi rank and vehicle pick up point. The current terminal generates more than £7m a year to the city’s economy
Engineering consultancy firm Ramboll has been appointed to lead the technical team to develop the facility, with a planning application expected to be submitted later this year.
The multi-disciplinary design team includes architect Stride Treglown, cost manager Gardiner & Theobald, planner JLL, and landscape architect Hyland Edgar Driver.
Tender documents for the procurement of a main contractor on a two-stage contract award basis is expected to be issued in the later part of October 2017, in the meantime tenders have been invited for progressing the site investigation works.
Subject to planning and funding approval the construction works are expected to start in summer 2018. The Ramboll team will then project manage and assist with ongoing monitoring of construction of the new facility.
Further planning applications could potentially include supplemental projects with a new 200 room hotel and 1,700 space multi-storey car park.
Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, said: “A new cruise facility is vital if we want to continue to grow Liverpool’s tourism economy. We want to welcome the next generation of super liners and passengers to the Mersey and provide a world class welcome and a five-star experience.
“A new cruise facility will also be a huge boost to our plans to regenerate the North Liverpool docklands and create thousands of new jobs which is why we have put together one of the very best teams of experts to ensure we build a facility to the very highest standards.
“Everyone in Liverpool has a connection to the river and I expect this consultation event will be very popular. We’re excited by the plans and we’re keen for the public to see what they have developed.”
Although the proposed multi-storey car park has been earmarked for the new cruise facility, the council is reviewing locations north of Leeds Street so it could also support initiatives around the Ten Streets creativity district and North Docks areas, including Everton FC’s proposed stadium at the nearby Bramley Moore Dock.
