'Liverpool has lacked media prescence for many years,  just look at the representation our friends in Manchester have, TWO national terrestial TV stations, and a whole host of national newspapers. We must should try to get the BBC to split their North West power base in two and get Granada Carlton to split their region in two, East and West, with the West centred in Liverpool. Say what you like but terrestial TV still rules. In the 60's Liverpool was the main city up here, but when Manchester got the TV it changed things. This needs some serious consideration.'

'Martin has outlined how the work in progress in the Old Hall St/Pall Mall district could be enhanced by building on of either the old street plan, or the establishment of new integrated streets. Visit the page for a more in depth piece.'

'Always being a fan of the radio City Tower I was very pleased when that company took over the old beacon. However, since they added the extra storey and advertising board the tower has lost a certain elegance it had previousley. Could Downtown see if there would be any commercial reason that could justify radio City adding a needle on the top on the tower. I think this would restore the grace of the tower and may well give the staion extra range! I am not to sure, but would imagine that a substantially tall needle would make it the tallest building in the city?' We have passed this onto Radio City and await their response. TS

'With regards to all the major schemes proposed for your downtown, it seems to me that there may be too many to do in one go! There must surely be pressure to skim development across all of these sites, just to make sure that 'something' happens...this will be dynamite in the long run, with low grade, single use, dilute development, that will have to be replaced at great cost in a few years time...if you get another chance to redevelop them...by then the city may have been confined to the rank of market town.

For example, surely it would be best to concentrate on just getting one world class convention centre on the Kings Dock, along with a major hotel or two, develop a framework for the rest and landscape it temporarily? The outline images that I saw where appalling...you can only blame the heritage people for so much low level rubbish Tony! Build the rest when enquiries for skyscrapers come in, do the same for the flats behind the 'Blob''

P.J Obrien

San Francisco (formerly of Kirkdale)

'Diversity, diversity, diversity! Liverpool must concentrate on helping as many small unique business as possible to set up downtown. Going for the harvey Nichols etc is all well and good, but Manchester, Chester and Trafford Park are not standing still! What is the UNIQUE factor that will draw people to Liverpool?

Most companies being talked of setting up in Chavasse Park are, of course, just moving from Church St. This could actually be an opportunity as it breaks the stranglehold of the multiples that have made the experience crap in Liverpool (good comments above) and expand the retail area. My impressions at the moment are that it will all just move to Chevasse....what happens to Church St then?'

'If Liverpool is really going to capitalise on the current increase in confidence etc, an improved strategy for graduate retention and attraction of talented individuals from outside is required. One speculative incentive may be the building of large appartment blocks (similar to those mentioned previously for Keyworkers), giving these people the opportunity to enter the property market in a place that is increasingly being regarded as the up and coming place to be.

If the developments are large enough some economies of scale may yield reasonable first-time-buyer prices. The large scale may alsoproduce the type of landmark developments that the skyline needs. Certainly some of the units described in the exhibition could be appropriate.'

 

'How about a bit of direct action to improve Liverpool's web presence?

Looking at Ryanair.com this morning two issues caught my attention. First, unlike many other destinations/departure points, you have to search hard for details about Liverpool. Second, the 'overview' provided of the city begins with a lengthy promotion of Manchester and finishes with some pretty insubstantial, patronizing and woefully out of date waffle.
Perhaps some constructive correspondence from downtowner's might help?'

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'I agree strongly with Martin Sloman's comments on the value of economic migrants. Turning 'the world in one city' into more than just another slogan would be of enormous benefit to the city. In addition, we should be looking at exploiting one of the greatest potential resources that Liverpool has, namely the huge number of students at the city's colleges and universities. Isn't it time for a serious graduate retention strategy? '

The two views related here are strongly endorsed by Downtown Liverpool. Immigration made Liverpool and new immigration can build it again. Everything else that is possible in the city needs people, the more the merrier! Student retention has been an appalling let down too, time to remedy that. T.S.

'With regards to the two postings suggesting solutions for the Lime St station area we would like to add the possibility of redeveloping the St Johns market disatrict. Amusement and dispair when such 'care' was taken with the Commutation Row scheme so as not to spoil the setting of St Georges Hall, when at the southern end there is the backside of a shopping mall. Demolition of this was by far the most popular idea at the early Liverpool Vision public sessions. But, of course, commerciallly it is extremely viable as it is. One solution would be to rebuild covered shops but in the form of the gallerias in Milan with4 tall buildings seperated by a cruciform. The buildings would also be able to have activities on the street frontage onto Lime St, etc. This would probably entail the demolition of the Royal Court, but so what...we could do something better!'

 

'One of the main indicators of the decline of our city has been the population loss over the last few decades. I believe that back in the 50s we had some 800,000 people and now have roughly half that number. If our population is to increase, we need to attract people from outside the city to come and live here. That is not going to be easy considering the dominance of London in the national economy. However, Liverpool has a tradition of immigration going back some two centuries, as evidenced by our historic Black and Chinese communities. Why don't we revive that by bucking the national trend and inviting economic migrants, asylum seekers etc? It is often the new immigrants that found the small businesses that help stimulate a city's economy and that is just what we need for Liverpool to develop. A thriving economy will encourage further immigration. Of course, immigration causes social problems but they can be nothing on the scale of those created by the massive influx of Irish immigrants in the middle of the nineteenth century that doubled the population in ten years and from whom a large part of the present Liverpool people are descended.'

'Was in TJ's last Sunday..... London Rd often lamented on here, was pretty quiet. Can't help think that the city leaks shoppers too easily. Having spent well at TJ's I would've fancied a further look around town, but laden with shopping and bin-lids it was time to go...... therefore should the shops provide a service whereby your goods are automatically delivered to a left-luggage at whichever car-park/bus-station you specify. Of course, a monorail passing through all major department stores and precincts may provide this service automatically.'

 

'Liverpool Vision propose to demolish the row of shops in front of Lime Street station and replace it with what looks like a flight of steps up to
the station. They also intend to reclad Concourse House. I think a reclad Concourse House is a good idea but I am not too happy about knocking down the shops. Whilst this single storey block is not a very attractive piece of architecture to have opposite St Georges Hall, it houses viable businesses that employ people and encourage people to use the street. I can't see what point there is in a continuous flight of steps unless the idea is to create a new skateboard park as it will inevitably become. My suggestion is that the shops be retained but reclad and signage improved to suit the location. The area on the top of the shop should then be converted into a pleasant public space by part glazing it over and developing a restaurant / cafe / bar area. This could be accessible from inside the station but also to the street via the Lime Street and Skelhorne street station entrances.

This would then achieve the original intention of the 60s planners of having a public space on top of the shops that would allow people to sit out and admire the view over Lime Street of St Georges Hall, and down St. Johns Lane to the Municipal Building and beyond. This didn't work out in practice as it is a very uninviting area, windswept and cut off from the main station. With good design, any glazed structure on top of the shops could enhance the Lime Street elevation of the station. The end elevation of the glazed train shed would still be exposed but the arches below could be opened up to improve access from the station. It would also allow much improved access to Concourse House and increase the size of the station concourse.

The pedestrian footpath in front of the shops could be made more inviting by removing the pedestrian subway that leads to the St Johns Centre. It seems odd to have two pedestrian subways in such proximity and it would be worth investigating if the subway to Lime Street underground station could also
serve as an access to the St Johns Centre by adding a branch under St Johns Lane. If so, the pavement in front of the shops could be widened and access into the shopping centre from Lime Street station much improved.'

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What if the traffic along lime street was subsurface from say the southern end of the North-western Hotel to the big House or thereabouts. This would allow people to cross from St Johns precinct straight to the station. Also Lime street (From the crown to the big house) could then be a street of cafes, bars, smart shops on both sides etc there could then be a proper traffic island where the traffic re-emerges facing the Adelphi with a new sculpture or fountain on it creating a new focal point. 

A taller and better quality building than the current one (Old Army & Navy) is required at this corner, and would better compliment the heights of Lewis's, Adelphi, big House. I'm normally a bit anti-pedestrianisation (per se) but it may work at this point and also increase throughput of traffic. It may kill the 2 birds of poor connectivity for the station and the dire state of that block, particularly the cinema side.

I suggest you just try to imagine the whole thing being an extension of St George's Plateau, snaking from the existing plateau across to the station and completely bridging the station to St Johns precinct area in a large open expanse and then carrying on up Lime street towards the Adelphi. A large piece of street-art/sculpture/water feature could be placed at the junction of Elliot/Lime/skelhorne street, this when viewed from Renshaw street would take in the one proposed for in front of the Adelphi and would look impressive (perhaps they could be complimentary) Traffic could still traverse the current street format under this whole area. It would greatly open up Lime street to the public with greater opportunity for development of this area.

If the 1950-60's buildings on the Western side of the street were demolished then perhaps this space could be utilised better...... currently they form a non-descript and disfunctional block in my opinion. It all amounts to bridging a perceived gap in how the centre functions and looks. There may be other examples were the topography can be utilised in this way. Another thing I hate is the car park alongside St Johns. Originally there was a great facade running around this bend which must have looked great to visitors from the station. This curved frontage should be properly reinstated to properly focus the new arrivals view down Hood/Roe street.

Those taking the station exit on Skelhorne will be faced with the options when looking left and right of two excellent vistas with a series of landmarks either way.......it sounds mouthwatering to me. The whole process may result in more connectivity for London Road also...... so that's about half a dozen birds with the one stone.

Liverpool City Council have released the long awaited 'Design Guide' that should put the city inline for proper urban development after all those years of 'town planning'. It is surprisingly good, though the statements that give potential to instill good urban practice is also open to abusive interpratation by the heritage lobby.

There is one good bit though where in an attempt to state that kitch aping of style will be not be insisted upon 'in keeping' IS sometimes appropriate. The pictures they use to show how this can work show probably the naffest examples in the city of bad replication...and inadvetantly exactly why this heritage style obsession is folly. We criticise the council too often...praise should be given when due.

The good potential should be picked up and lobbied on by all.

 

School for Entrepreneurs - Downtown would be the perfect place to open a school that specialised on developing the skills of those entrepreneurially inclined. This would be a specialist school like the ones they have for Art, Science, etc. It could tie in with the likes of the two university departments of business, LBC, Chamber of Commerce and MSIF. As well as senior children it could also be a centre for adult advice and courses.

All sorts of master-classes could be arranged and become an effective 'one stop shop' for all enterprise learning and development.

 

What is to be done about all the empty space above the stores on Church St? Perhaps the new Business Improvement District people will be able to suggest finding new uses that will bring in a greater variety of customers and also tame the district after the shops close.

Surely these are ideal for residential conversion and small offices as well as this much vaunted 'live/work units that would be ideal for some of the more exclusive talents in design we keep producing in Liverpool but then deny them a market outlet? It is a sin that so much space is not being utilised for the city.

I also hate seeing those little boxes going up in the side streets...whbat are they about? Surely they should have offices and apartments above them, isn't this a criminal waste of valuable land just putting two levels on prime city centre sites?

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Liverpool used to benefit tremendously from those enroute to the TT in the Isle of Man. We could have some moterbike based festival either prior to, or terminating TT week.

This could bring thousands of people back to the city who now go to Heysham. I am sure that if the event was good enough it would attract sufficient numbers to stay for a weekend and make it worth-while.

Further to Tom Hugh`s comments regarding a monorail system in the city centre,  I agree that movement around the centre does need to be improved, but having seen such a system in Sydney it appeared to me that it was a tourist gimmick, it worked well with the cityscape  in Darling Harbour , but looked awful when it transverses the CDB area . The capacity of each train was very limited.

The Tram system would offer a much better and more environmentally friendly method, it works very well in many German cities, Karlsrue and Kasel both have excellent tram routes that connect all areas by running mainly on pedestrian only streets.

Assuming that our 3 line Merseytram system is built,  how about its first extension running from  Kings Waterfront passed the Pier Head , Princess Parade and up to the Central Dock development ( echoes of the old "overhead railway ) returning into the city via Pall Mall, a site for future high density commercial buildings, joining Line 1 near Moorefield's.

In the run-up to the handing back of Hong Kong to the PRC, the United Kingdom government was restricting entry into the UK by British citizens of Hong Kong birth. Contrast that attitude (IMHO racist) to that of Canada, it's provinces and cities.

The Government of Canada, through it's consulate, all ten provinces and a number of Canadian cities, among them Toronto, Montreal, Regina, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and Halifax also had representatives trying to persuade the wealthy Hong Kong citizens to relocate in Canada. Not an insignificant amount chose Toronto, Ontario to the benefit of that city and province.

We [Toronto] had a large 'China Town' before this latest influx of Chinese emigrants, now we have one of the worlds largest Chinese communities outside of the Orient. We now have many Chinese developments like shopping malls that are distinctly oriental in character and design.

The substantial amounts of money brought and invested in Toronto have enhanced not only those who brought it but also the community as a whole, providing jobs and opportunities for all Torontonians. Does Liverpool have any programs to lure wealthy overseas investors to relocate to Liverpool? If not, why not?

n terms of inclusion of the Wirral in our quests for enhancement of Liverpools future prospects (and downtowns place at the heart) I would suggest that The waterfront on that side also needs some tall buildings.

Perhaps a bridge from our centre to a new office/residential development between Birkenhead/Wallasey. might kill the ferry though!? This way perhaps the people of the wirral could see that their prospects are linked to our side, and gain much more support from that side

 

If your reading this list and work in town why don't you explore the possibility of setting up an association for your sector or organise a cluster network event?. The city is woefully under networked and co-ordinated. If you contact Downtown Liverpool we are eager to help in this area?

Also everyone should join Liverpool Chamber of Commerce as a good Chamber is vital in any worthwhile city economy.

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Following on to what Kevin pointed out about Liverpool being among the worlds romantic cities and looking at the plans for the Grosvenor/Paradise development might I suggest the following?

Instead of a stepped park area at Canning Place, would it not be better to excavate the "Old Dock" and continue the canal from Salthouse Dock into the Old Dock then on to and along Paradise Street then along Whitechapel to the junction of St. Johns Lane/Old Haymarket/Manchester Street.

The canal, beyond the Old Dock, need not be as wide as the crossing of Pier Head, but instead it could form a pleasant waterway, much like the canal that meanders through Suva, Fiji.

I am led to believe that Paradise Street/Whitechapel are to be pedestrian precincts, so the only objection to this would be financial, and if the object is to make Liverpool a premier European city and tourist attraction, what better project would enhance that goal?

One other suggestion; The part of Chavasse Park/Canning Place fronting onto The Strand should be renamed "Mariners Prospect" in honour of the Merchant Seamen who made Liverpool such a great city and port

Patrick C. Taylor

Canada

With Liverpool's position as a centre of good design (teaching) and a tradition of good architecture and other aspects of design, all the bodies in our city should team up and instigate an international awards for architecture and design. It would include interior, product and landscape design.

This could culminate a new 'design week', a little like the Bienniel with exhibitions and displays. The museums could get involved with historical aspects of design etc. An 'Expo' of designers and contemporary manufacturers could also be included, as well as workshops on good urban design and encouraging architectural excellence in the world's best cities.

It would have to be international in reach and aspect. Two ideas that could be developed as permanent features would be an Architecture Centre, which is always being mooted,( those responsible should pull their fingers out). Also could revive the Design Centre concept that used to be in Federation House. So three ideas here for the price of one - two permanent exhibition centres and an annual week of events.

 

Why not reinstate the decking in front of the new Princes Dock buildings. This would help turn what is in effect a business park into a good waterfront district, like Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco.

If small-scale development, like cafes, fishing tackle shops, tourist booths and book shops where encouraged it could become a really popular and attractive place. Wooden buildings could be put back. Promenades around the perimeter would really give the experience of the river and even hotels and a small number of apartments cold be built there to help keep the place active and safe round the clock. Other facilities relating to the maritime importance of the dock could be developed too, this is where most emigrants to the U.S did leave from after all!

Imagine that to attract all those Americans - this was the last place their ancestors saw when heading off to the New World! With the proposed liner terminal this could become one of the most interesting and attractive parts of the city. It would also give a link to the proposed developments of Central Docks - you wouldn't want to walk through a sanitised business park to get to facilities two miles away, no matter how attractive they are - but good things to see and do en-route would ensure this.

In relation to one of the above ideas it has always struck me why no one takes advantage of the market to provide anglers and artists by opening a shop or two somewhere by the Pierhead.

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Food is an essential part of the downtown experience, whether in NYC, Toronto or London, one of the main highlights is is the quality and variety of restaurants available. Liverpool is alright, but given its tag of 'The World in one City' we must reflect this by offering a truly cosmopolitan choice. This is led by the market, but I am sure that Liverpool Vision and the City Council could, with the help of downtownliverpool, highlight this potential, and back up the aspiration by looking at ways of making it easy to set up these new facilities. Even though the heart might now be willing I bet as soon as someone approaches the city for planning permission they run into all the old and usual barriers and obstructions. To undertake these initiatives then everyone must be on board in wanting to encourage things. It is no good for the Executive to say they want this or that only for those who respond to the call to face petty mandarins on ego trips who have no idea or enthusiasm for building the city up. I think this would be a brilliant base from which to build all sorts of new activities.

It is accepted that the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra is world-class as well as world renowned. It is also accepted that bringing a number of full orchestras to play in Liverpool during 2008 would be cost prohibitive. Both the foregoing being a given, might I suggest the following?

That the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic hold a series of "Maestro" concertseach month of the concert seasons in 2008. This would entail inviting themost prestigious Conductors/Musical Directors of the worlds most prestigious orchestras to conduct the RLPO.

Iwould also suggest that the culmination in December 2008 would be the appearance of the conductor of the worlds most prestigious orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic, conducting our own Phil. Of course that conductor is Liverpool's own Sir Simon Rattle.

Another suggestion for 2008 would be for Liverpool to pursue the World Barbershop Harmonizing Quartets to hold their convention in Liverpool in 2008. They could be invited to become a part of the 2008 celebrations. I have been fortunate to be present in two cities while this convention was being held.

The impromptu harmonising on street corners added colour and entertainment to the scene

 

Patrick C. Taylor
Brampton, Ontario
CANADA L6X 2W5

A variation on the corporate relocation package, but for entrepreneurs wishing/willing to set up their business idea in Liverpool as well as live here. Could iclude help with housing, rates etc as well as generous busines start up and ongoing support structures, (this would also be available to people already living in Liverpool)

One aspect of the physical landscape that should be better utilised as a design template is the views up the city streets from the river at the Pierhead. This should be encouraged in Kings Dock as well as in the new proposals for the Central/Northern Docks.

This would imply major buildings as it is the metropolitan scale buildings on Chapel, Water and James Streets that make the image.

How about moving the Cloud forward onto Mann Island (concept is much cleaner as well - the 'Island' instead of the hill...what's 'the hill'?) This would then allow something like the Cullinen proposal for two tall towers to go ahead on the rest of the enlarged site.

The city must break the stranglehold that the Liver Building has on building heights at present).

Re-instate a link between Everton and Toxteth via Hope/Rodney St

A serious strategy to encourage the clustering of new media and other creative clusters downtown. Particularly the city must craft its own TV sector as apart from being a sector that creates International opportunities for growth it is the area we have been actively barred from, all our talents only helping to grow the economies and prestige of Manchester and London.

The city must develop a positive strategy for huge growth of the downtown population and not just leave it to market forces. Families must be encouraged to live downtown and so the facilities and support they need must be encouraged or catered for.

This would help to generate an exposion of new business and employment opportunities and help to diversify the economy of Downtown.

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