* The site: a man-made peninsula that forms an island at Brunswick Quay, 2km from the Pier Head
* The scheme: one 51-storey tower, 166.25m (over 500ft) high, and two 10-storey buildings, incorporating 489 flats, four work units, 35-bed hotel, retail uses, undercroft car park for 455 vehicles, landscaping.
* Present use: industrial warehouses, to be demolished with businesses relocated
PLANNING manager Nigel Lee acknowledges that the scheme is of an iconic design and would present a remarkable waterfront spectacle. The scheme, though, fails to comply with major policy elements of the city's own planning blueprint, the Unitary Development Plan.
It also fails to comply with the the council's proposed tall buildings policy which wants to see clusters of taller buildings in three specific areas of the city centre. Brunswick is not one of those three clusters. Mr Lee says the site is primarily an industrial area, and plans for flats, a hotel and retail facilities are not in accordance with that.
The council also fears that, if the scheme is agreed, it could set a precedent which would undermine the aims of the council's housing market renewal initiative. The development, says the council, does not accord with its policies as the scale, density and massing does not relate well to its locality at Brunswick Quay. The view of the council is that there are more suitable locations for such a tall building.
The viewpoint from Maro
THE proposed scheme is an iconic design and will come to symbolise the regeneration of Liverpool, capital of Culture and the Housing Market Renewal Initiative.
While the site is allocated for employment purposes this does only constitute a small proportion of the overall employment land availability within Liverpool.
The scheme will protect all existing jobs and result in a net gain, increase expenditure within the city, and may well encourage future economic investment both close to the site and within the surrounding area.
The scheme will not prejudice the successful delivery of housing market renewal, it will complement and assist the new Heartland initiative. Many of the apartments will be among the cheapest available in the inner city, allowing a wider social mix of people to enjoy the benefits of city living.
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