Significant progress on the huge project is expected in 2025
17:01, 05 Jan 2025Updated 17:01, 05 Jan 2025
Visualisation of Central Park at Liverpool Waters(Image: Peel Waters)
A new neighbourhood and park on the banks of the River Mersey will unlock a part of Liverpool that has not been accessed for more than 50 years, according to the man behind the development. Central Docks is Liverpool’s largest brownfield site and the biggest neighbourhood within Liverpool Waters – a sprawling project which aims to regenerate the post-industrial landscape of Liverpool’s northern docks through a wide range of residential, commercial and cultural developments.
The project is split into five neighbourhoods – Central Docks, Clarence Docks, King Edward Triangle, Princes Dock and Northern Docks. The full site stretches from the northern edge of Liverpool city centre to Bramley-Moore Dock, where Everton FC’s new stadium has been built.
Central Docks saw planning approval for the preparation work on the site granted by Liverpool City Council in March 2023 and the plans include the establishment of a 4.7 acre public park called ‘Central Park’ as well as the implementation of infrastructure to accommodate approximately 2,350 new homes. It will also include new residential and commercial developments – as well as a new cultural building.
The project was cited by Rachel Reeves in her first speech as Chancellor last July, as she announced that the Labour government would be tackling so-called “stalled sites” in order to build new homes and hopefully grow the economy. Central Docks was included by Ms Reeves as an example of one of these sites and £56m of government funding was later allocated to the project, before contractor GRAHAM was appointed to deliver the first phase of progress on site in December.
Mr Capes told the ECHO last month that he rejects the view that Central Docks had been stalled, saying Peel is “focussed on bringing that Central Docks part of the city forward” and “delivering at pace”. Explaining what Liverpool can expect from the project, he said: “We’re really excited about the park and the green space that it’s going to provide. It sits either side of the Leeds Liverpool Canal, it’s publicly accessible so it’s a park for not just the residents of Liverpool Waters but a public park.
“It’s been designed to consider a number of different elements. It takes on cues from the historic ground that it sits on – it’s public space, play space, leisure and sports facilities in the park but then it also has some more open space which is for relaxation and enjoying that environment, with some quiet space as well.
Chris Capes, development director at Liverpool Waters(Image: Everton FC)
“It is all part of our sustainable urban development plan. We’ve created a wetland environment there again and we’ve looked at what species exist on the dock as well. You might think there’s not much there but there’s actually quite a lot and we’ve taken cues from the species that sit in that dock environment and built some of that into the park as well.
“Making it as natural as possible while also delivering the facilities that you expect if you are living there. The park itself and that space is important but we’ve also looked at the road networks and the pedestrian networks between the buildings and taken out some roads and put in some more planting and some more green space in those areas.”
Liverpool Waters was granted outline planning permission in 2013 and some noticeable progress has been made in the years since, particularly around Princes Dock. With the crucial next steps in mind, Peel submitted a modified plan for Liverpool Waters in July 2024.
Everton had not selected Bramley-Moore Dock as the location for a new stadium when the original plans were drawn up, so the new plan reflects the addition of a 52,000 football stadium within the project – as well as changes in working habits and transport needs. Central Docks’ 2023 planning application and the revised masterplan for the overall project has allowed Peel to reflect the wishes of the surrounding area, ensuring it regenerates north Liverpool, according to Mr Capes.
He said: “For the planning application we submitted recently for the park and for the Section 73 (change to planning application), we’ve been having extensive public consultations. We’ve been out into some of the community centres within that part of the city and sought people’s views on how they use parks and spaces and the types of things they want to see within the development.
“I think part of our job is to get people down there – I think for people to understand that it is for them to come and use. Providing the facilities, the retail, the park is about making it a publicly accessible space. “Nobody has been able to access it for the last 50 to 60 years officially. It’s important that we do that.
The land that will become Central Docks as part of Liverpool Waters(Image: Peel Waters)
“The job creation point is a really important one as well. Not just a commercial space when it gets delivered in Liverpool Waters – bringing businesses in – but also the opportunity for people to come and get jobs within Liverpool Waters as it is being delivered and once it’s been delivered.
“We’ve worked with the City of Liverpool College, we have the construction hub on site and we’re working with them at the moment to reinvigorate that. That is about how people who live in the city are trained up to work on either development sites or delivery of sustainable energy generation or delivery of the types of facilities that will be within Liverpool Waters.”
Mr Capes wants to ensure that Central Park is used by the entire city and Central Docks makes a material impact on the area around it – whether that is through the creation of jobs, a number of affordable homes or the new facility of the park. He explained: “There are a couple of key points. One is how we make sure that people realise it is for them and they can access it really easily.
“There will be public transport routes and things that are built into it. Then there’s the other side of employment opportunities that it will provide. I think it’s also important to provide an affordable housing commitment within Liverpool Waters to deliver 20% of our units as affordable. We’re working on that at the moment to ensure that Central Docks does that but it delivers the right types of units in the right place.
“We take it very seriously and alongside our social value commitments about employment and about jobs, giving people opportunities is something that we take very seriously”.
Looking forward to this year, Mr Capes said: “Getting on site in Central Docks next year (2025) is going to be a big thing for us. GRAHAM is on site doing a lot of survey and design work for us. That will complete in early next year and we want to be on site in the middle of the year.”