Mixed messages over future of Liverpool zip wire
Outdoor pursuits firm ZipWorld said it is continuing to “explore options” for a suitable location to deliver the city centre attraction, a statement at odds with claims from a councillor that the scheme had been scrapped.
Cllr Nick Small tweeted last week that he had spoken to ZipWorld’s founder Sean Taylor and been given confirmation that the attraction would not go ahead in Liverpool.
ZipWorld is eyeing up locations for attractions across the the UK – including Liverpool, according to a statement from the firm.
The North Wales-based company’s plans for a 400-metre zip wire between St Johns Beacon to Liverpool Central Library were approved by Liverpool City Council in June, sparking anger among residents and conservation groups.
However, the proposed attraction was supported by some business leaders and retailers, which claimed the zip wire would boost footfall and help drive the city’s economic recovery.
After a war of words between parties on both sides of the divide, City Mayor Joe Anderson stepped in to block the plans in September.
Anderson said at the time: “As Mayor, I do not interfere in the planning process. However, I do have the final decision on whether a building owned by the council should be used in such a way.
“I have serious concerns about using this area, and having spoken to the company could not let them progress further, knowing I would not support it.”
Taylor, who is ZipWorld’s co-founder and president, described Anderson’s decision as a setback but vowed to resubmit a fresh proposal with “a new landing point” instead of the library, with the wire’s starting point remaining the same.
Councillors including Small and Liberal Democrat leader Richard Kemp have supported the idea of a zip wire in a more appropriate location.
Short-sighted nimbyism or bullet dodging foresight?
By Cheshire boy
Such a shame if they don’t build this here in Liverpool – petty, blinkered thinking from those who should know better.
LL
By Liver lad