Liverpool Brunswick Quay Loses Public Inquiry

Liverpool Brunswick Quay Loses Public Inquiry

Government minister Ruth Kelly has decided to reject Maro Developments plans for a skyscraper at Brunswick Quay in Liverpool.

The ministers controversial decision comes despite the advice from the planners who carried out the public inquiry and wrote the final report recommending that it be approved.

At the crux of the decision is the fear that the tower would block views of Liverpools two cathedrals from some areas across the River Wirral, a certainty given that if you put one object between the viewer and the further away object it will always appear in-between from one angle.

The ironic thing, as images clearly show, is that the tower is unique amongst Liverpool skyscraper proposals in being nowhere near a world heritage site. The second illustration has been prepared to show exactly where this tower is in relation to Liverpool when looking across the Wirral.

Despite praising the "excellent inherent architectural merit" of the scheme, she believed that "the harm to the setting of the World Heritage site, and to the setting of and views from listed buildings and conservation areas, weighs against the proposal."

In other-words, even if your proposal has the best architecture on offer it can be refused if seen from or too a world heritage site. This turns on the head the previous decisions by John Prescott who preceded Kelly when he refused to call in developments such as the Minerva Building.

Kelly already has form for a less than logical approach to the planning system. Having backed a housing development in her capacity as a minister she proceeded to oppose it as the local m.p carrying out the nice trick of being for and against something at the same time.

The decision also conflicts with the reasons Liverpool Council originally refused planning permission, namely that Brunswick Quay broke their unitary development plan by being where it was by not being in a residential zone. The planners at Liverpool City Council refused to accept that it was of sufficiently high quality to approve it because these reasons counted against.

The minister has managed to argue against their grounds for refusal whilst at the same time coming up with new grounds that do not actually concern Liverpool City Council, a novel piece of governing that would make Yes Minister proud.

This ruling probably marks the end of the line for the Ian Simpson designed development. Maro Developments have pushed hard to get it through the planning system with the local council voting against it both times. Their only hope was an approval via a public inquiry and now that direction has been closed off there are few places left they can go.

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