Liverpool City Council has given the cold shoulder to a recommendation from UNESCO that there should be a moratorium on new development within the city’s world heritage site and the surrounding buffer zone as Mayor Joe Anderson has said he will write to the UN body rejecting its request.
A council spokesman said: ‘We work extremely hard to balance conservation with the development needs of a growing city, and UNESCO recognises we have made progress in addressing their concerns. The number of buildings in Liverpool on the at-risk register is at a 25 year low and Historic England says the city is an example of best practice nationally. Liverpool remains open for business and all planning applications will continue to be determined in the usual way in line with national planning policies and guidance. We can’t place developments in large parts of the city centre on hold as it would send out completely the wrong message to investors, cost jobs and leave us open to expensive legal challenges by developers. We are working with the government, who make representations on behalf of World Heritage Sites at the UNESCO Committee, to look at how best to resolve the situation.’
View the news article in the Liverpool Echo
