Ten Streets masterplan to be rubber stamped

Liverpool City Council’s cabinet is set to approve the adoption of a Strategic Regeneration Framework for the 125-acre former dockland site after 75% of consultation respondents showed support for the proposals.

Consultation was held in autumn 2017 on the SRF, which was led on by How Planning and architect shedkm and sets out the design and development principles for the Ten Streets area.

Should it be approved at Friday’s cabinet meeting, the SRF will attain the status of a Supplementary Planning Document, assisting in the determination of all future planning applications and any potential use of the council’s Compulsory Purchase Orders, both within the Ten Streets creativity district and surrounding areas. These have been set out into six distinct buffer zones running from Leeds Street in the south to the land adjacent to Bramley Moore Docks in the north.

Adopting the framework means the city can place conditions on design and height of new developments in the area as well as ensuring commercial development and affordable rents within the Ten Streets district are protected.

A report prepared by officers for the cabinet says: “The response to the document has been overwhelmingly positive, with 75% of respondents supportive of the proposals within it.” The draft proposal was also “well received” by the Places Matter design review panel. Four drop-in events were held, along with an event with the North Liverpool Business Forum, while the council’s Regen Liverpool social media promotion of the document received 200,000 page impressions.

The vision for the area was launched a year ago and set out “ten big ideas” to regenerate the northern edge of the city centre and the landmark Tobacco Warehouse at the Harcourt Developments-owned Stanley Dock, which lies within Liverpool’s World Heritage Site. Of these, the most notable initial proposal was for a new theatre and music venue to be built.

As to progress so far, work is in progress at the Tobacco Warehouse to bring 538 apartments to the market, to be followed by commercial floorspace. The Ten Street team, according to the report, has also identified a number of “quick wins” where funds from existing budgets can be used to generate interest in the area – these include a lighting project on the Victoria ventilation shaft on Waterloo Road, street light column banners around the area’s boundary, and potentially, City Bike hubs at the Titanic Hotel and Invisible Wind Factory incubator.

Joe Anderson, Mayor of Liverpool, said: “Ten Streets has a huge potential to transform North Liverpool and this new planning policy will ensure we have the building blocks to guide its direction.

“The whole area is on the brink of a very bright future, especially when you consider the investment the council is making in the surrounding infrastructure as well as Peel’s investment in Liverpool Waters and Everton’s intentions for nearby Bramley Moore Dock.”

Ten Streets is proposed as a ‘creativity district,’ along the lines of the innovation districts outlined by urban strategist Bruce Katz. Lying within the poorest ward in the UK in Kirkdale, the council believes it has the potential for up to 1m sq ft of development.

The council is amid an investment programme to improve transport infrastructure in the area, including road upgrades to Great Howard Street and Regent Road, the new cruise liner terminal and possible rail connections.