Liverpool sets out plan to protect Baltic Triangle
Liverpool City Council is looking to draw up a spatial regeneration framework for the Baltic Triangle in an attempt to guide future development for the area and protect its growing cluster of digital and tech businesses.
The council had previously endorsed a development framework in December last year, which set out its ambitions for the Baltic Triangle, but is now looking to draw up a formal planning document which set out guidelines for future applications within the 93-acre area.
The decision to bring forward a formal planning framework has been influenced by what the council said was “increasing pressure for development” which it argued was “often to the detriment of existing and established uses”.
“In order to protect employment land, support the growth of the digital and creative industries sector, and ensure a sustainable mix of housing types and tenures, the city council needs to provide the local planning authority with all the tools to manage development within the area,” said a report to the council’s cabinet.
“The Baltic Triangle contains a number of key sites within the city centre and it is imperative that the city council is able to effectively manage development to ensure it is of high quality, befitting of the place, and contributes to the long-term sustainability of the city.”
A number of major developments, primarily apartments, have either started construction or won planning consent in the area in recent months; these include a 505-home project by Legacie Developments and designed by Falconer Chester Hall, and proposals by developer Eloquent to convert a four-storey brick warehouse into flats and commercial space.
Other ongoing schemes include a project by Baltic Creative CIC to convert the 19th-century Norfolk Street warehouse into workspace and a public café; and YPG’s 204-apartment scheme off Tabley Street.
It is intended any spatial framework would sit alongside the city’s emerging Local Plan, and would “maximise the potential” of the Baltic Triangle as a mixed-use area.
The council’s cabinet will next week sign off the process to begin recruiting an external planning consultant to draw up the spatial framework, either via The Chest or via an established public-sector framework. Procurement and production of the document is expected to cost the council around £75,000.
This draft document would then be subject to formal consultation before returning to the council for formal adoption.
After the horse has bolted slightly. Shoddy residential already a blight in the Triangle and a direct violation of the Council’s own vision for the area as set out in previous documents. The massive potential to grow the creative and digital cluster in this area limited by the Council’s permissive approach to development
By John Smith
Surprised John? Does anything other than the padlocking of empty stables happen these days?
Which is more important:
To do something when there is both point and opportunity for the city?
Or to be seen to be apparently doing something, when both point and opportunity have long gone by?
A cynic might wonder whether elections and selection contests might have anything to do with the answer.
By Mike
always needed major investment in public areas and car parking but never had teeth to collect funds. so now part built out pressures increase and the rest of the area carry’s the can on funding.
By alan d