A plan to develop Liverpool's Baltic Triangle, with proposals for a new train station and park, have cleared a major hurdle this morning.
The council's cabinet approved a spatial regeneration framework for the Baltic this morning in an attempt to shape development in the area.
Once a warehouse and production hub, large parts of the Baltic became derelict as Liverpool suffered the effects of de-industrialisation in the second half of the 20th century.
Over the last two decades it has reemerged as an economic hub in the city with a focus on the creative industries. It is now home to more than 500 businesses employing more than 3,000 people.
The new framework, produced by consultants LDA Design, proposes a series of long term developments for the area to allow it to grow further.
They include the reopening of St James Station, a long term aim for Merseytravel, and the creation of a new park.
Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson said: “ The Baltic Triangle is a great Liverpool success story but the time has come for a new chapter to take it to the next level.
“This new masterplan sets out some bold ideas and projects to create a healthy, vibrant place to work and live, such as the train station and park, and with the right investment it will help guide its growth for the decades to come.
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“Consultation with businesses and residents has been crucial to how this plan was shaped. They will also be vital to its successful implementation, and I thank everyone for their input and commitment to making the Baltic the best possible place to invest and work in.
“The area’s position as one of Britain’s fastest-growing digital and creative hubs is something the city takes great pride in and we want to nurture this to ensure it can help fuel Liverpool’s growth out of the Covid crisis over the coming years.”
Baltic Triangle CIC advocates for businesses in the area. Chair Liam Kelly said larger scale projects such as the park would be welcome but said other, more immediate aspects of the plan would have a major impact.
In particular he pointed to the implementation of the Agent of Change policy, approved by the council last year. It aims to halt the decline of existing music venues by shifting the burden of managing potential noise disruption to developers who apply for planning permission to build residential sites nearby.
Mr Kelly said: “These principles in particular are key to protecting the iconic night time industry that has contributed so significantly to the area's identity. The recent pandemic has further highlighted to us the importance of the limited green spaces in the area, and the inclusion of the Baltic Park will support the fantastic work already underway bringing people together on the Baltic Green."
Mark Lawler, managing director of Baltic Creative CIC, said the area would play a key role in Liverpool's economic recovery from the pandemic.
He said: “The SRF highlights the importance of the Business Community and its role in the future growth of the Baltic Triangle area. We at Baltic Creative CIC will continue to provide affordable, accessible commercial space for our Creative and Digital Community right here in the heart of the Baltic Triangle, as we move through and out of the crisis supporting the ambition of the SRF."
The recommendations in the SRF include:
- Support for a new rail station at St James Street (closed in 1917)
- Creating a new public park – Baltic Park
- Enhancing connectivity, specifically pedestrian and cycle routes
- Creating green corridors, linking into the city’s £3.4m Urban GreenUp project
- Protecting open spaces and setting open space design guidelines
- Encouraging a balanced mix of housing types and homes for families
- Ensuring buildings have active ground floor uses
- The potential for a Conservation Area
- Implementing the Agent of Change policy
