What do you think Liverpool needs? it can be leisure based, commercial based, touristy, industry.

If you had the power and cash what would you develope and where?

My first idea would be a bigger and better upto date version of the dead Pleasure Island, it could be located next to the Arena with loads of leisure activities under one roof, such as ice skating, skating, bowling, some decent thrill rides. A central location would attract loads of people, and is close the other attractions and James Street and Paradise Street. A new station could be built for this and the arena.

The region is lacking in this and such a facility could easily be supported.

Ok so thats mine, whats yours?

In terms of city centre. Pall Mall. Without a shadow of a doubt we need a Liverpool One sized single investment in office space. Hopefully mixed use too though.

Second I think the Lime St corridor from the ABC right through to the Wedding shop needs a total overhaul.

Thirdly i think Ropewalks needs finishing off,

genuine ambition for the city to be something once again, tap as much of the potential entrepreneurialism there is on our people, if this is insufficient then find ways of atracting people of that mindset, more people, tens, hundreds of thousands more if poss. An idea amongst our overlords about how commerce works, how markets are global and that the most important elament of our past to resurect is our profound knowledge of these things.

A bridge across the Mersey in or close to the city centre.

A bridge across the Mersey in or close to the city centre.

Yeah a brookyln style bridge would be amazing.

Merseytram

Bridge connecting North Wales to the wirral, subsequently followed by a motorway crossing the wirral and then another bridge into Liverpool City Centre :) If Liverpool wants a metro area similar to manchester (in pop.), the city needs to create links to areas that are effectively a shorter distance away from the Liverpool CBD than places like southport or st. Helens.

The houses north east of Baltic Triangle to be demolished; to make way for a boulevard leading up to the anglican cathedral. (The houses should be replaced by an exact replica of the old customs house. And other excellent builds that integrate a more pedestrian friendly environment).

An aquarium that could rival America's Georgia Aquarium in size, to be situated on docks next to the convection centre and the Echo Arena.. Super Casinos lining Wapping and sefton street...

Demolish Paddy's Wigwam and build lutyen's cathedral.. but thats asking too much???

More than anything Liverpool needs jobs. Whatever creates a jobs in this city and reverses the need for talented, eager to get on people, to move away....needs to be put into place.

This is one of the reasons I have gone from being opposed to Merseytram, to now supporting what is likely to be the only major infastructure investment we are likely to get in a generation.


....and now on to dreaming....

2 world class high capacity football stadiums.
Liverpool and Everton bossing English football as they did when I was a kid in the 80's.
A large concert hall/opera house on the waterfront.
Removal of tunnel tolls and debts paid off in full.
A world class skate park.
A completely unique and truly iconic superskyscraper at Liverpool Waters on a level with the great architectural wonders of the world.

oh and a colossus of rhodes style gold statue of john mk straddling the mersey from New Brighton to north docks.

This is cheap and easy to do.

Manchester and the NWDA to 'DO ONE'

More than anything Liverpool needs jobs. Whatever creates a jobs in this city and reverses the need for talented, eager to get on people, to move away....needs to be put into place. ...
Definitely. With prosperity through jobs all sorts of wonderful things will happen.

The biggest thing that would forever change Merseyside in a positive way would be a Mersey Barrage on a Bootle to New Brighton alignment. With the estuary permanently at "high tide equivalent" (except during annual maintenance) all kinds of aquatic schemes would pay off.

Liverpool needs a few hundred thousand more people. Industrious people. The rest will follow.

More in keeping with the spirit of this thread, we could do with a very wealthy benefactor building 1 million square feet+ of office space in and around the existing CBD then letting it out for next to nothing. It would bring in good companies, good jobs, and good people.

Merseytram

LOL :lol:

A toll free bridge over the Mersey with a six lane roadway on top and a HSR facility underneath connected to a new 'through' station in the Brunswick/Nortons for crap area with the HSR train continuing on to Scotland, combined with a fully integrated Merseyrail underground station.

A university (or two) based on the Wirral side of the water to counter the woeful lack of educational qualifications throughout Merseyside. And someone with the foresight to understand that knowledge based industries will provide Merseyside more 'bangs for bucks' in the future than semi skilled screwdriver operations.

Finally, the demise of the manc biased NWDA and the creation of the Merseyside Development Agency.

A lido on the site of merepark's central village. An opportunity to chill and exercise in the heart of the city. Preferably complete with a death inviting high diving board.

Independence, which means the opposide of isolation. Trade with everyone, have immigrants from every corner of the world, build up the port and airport to be amongst the world's largest. But no political control whatsoever by the city's enemies in other parts of this septic isle.

yeah, that sounds good!

Manchester and the NWDA to 'DO ONE'

Not bad. You held out until the 10th post. :lol: (don't worry, it was a flying visit and I won't ruin the thread)

PS. Liverpool needs Pall Mall like Manchester needed Spinningfields. Once you have a dedicated office quarter like Spinningfields and Brindley Place/Snow Hill in Birmingham, large national and international (finance/law) companies will come or relocate. Until you can offer them that, they will always chose cities that already offer that option.

End of regionalism
City Region government with real powers
Transatlantic flights from Lennon Airport, plus a few Asian links.
High Speed Rail
A comprehensive tram system
A comprehensive metro/commuter rail system
Rebuilt downtown & innercity neighbourhoods
More Grade A quality office space
Own TV broadcasting region
Skyscrapers & some new outstanding landmarks
The Poseidon statue
Birkenhead to be a bustling continuation of the downtown and not a ghost town

Stronger Political presence and leadership that is forward thinking, constructive and join up in its thinking. (a big ask I know)

Better connections and the re-instatement of all the major lost rail and sea links that would be of benefit as our economy continues to recover.

High Speed Rail in the first wave, not left behind to loose out when successive governments feel the pinch and pull the plug on future extensions.

LARGE BLUE CHIP MULTI NATIONALS to locate regional headquarters to the city as much as possible, as well as a major drive to encourage a more Entrepreneurial spirit to rise in the city and get us away from Public sector reliance or base.

Expanded Liverpool airport in line with the plans banded about by Peel in the last few years.

Major development of the ports in and around the Estuary/Liverpool Bay and a serious proposal for harnessing the power of water and wind, as well as encouraging new related industries close by and languishing resorts and coastal towns to see the river as an economic driver again.

Remove all tall buildings policies and nonsense and allow a more loose approach to planning. Loose in that Economic well being, design, quality and investment is put way ahead of a moan about a view or a issue regarding personal taste or box ticking.

Merseyside Dropped and replaced simply with Liverpool or Gtr Liverpool and a new completely business focused brand to be developed.

New, fresh initiatives to expand and build effectively on industries that have already established a base here, such as Wavertree tech park, creative industries, university related etc etc.

An international multi-billion pound design competition to completely rebuild the city within the boundaries of Leeds st, Everton Park and finishing at bootle - keeping the best of the old, reopening old roads and wiping away planning mistakes and allow more of a grid pattern to emerge that encourages this end of the city to better connect to the city centre and primarily to itself.

And last (im sure there is more in my head) and by no means least, FLATTEN st johns with the exception of the tower, Lime st with the exception of the cinema and former blacklers building (and the old pubs), The former rapid building, Clayton Square, Williamson Square, Queens Sq, Central Station street level and the former 051 club and car park (plus back of adelphi and create a whole new section of the city more befitting its position as an arrivals and departure point. At present its a mess.

: )

- A diving facility
- A larger athletics facility (think Don Valley)

I think both of these would valuable assets, both in terms of the facilities they would provide to the people of the city, and in terms of the income to the local economy each time a major sporting meeting was held. We are arguably already part of the way there with the Aquatics Centre, and the Athletics Centre at Wavertree. I know this thread has a element of fantasy to it, but this one isn't really so far from a potential reality.

1. Bridge from somewhere North end to Wallassey / New Brighton
2. Rail station opened Picton Road / Wellington Road area
3. Bootle branch line passenger services.
4. Direct air link to Atlanta
5. The St Johns area flattening and starting again

Independence, which means the opposide of isolation. Trade with everyone, have immigrants from every corner of the world, build up the port and airport to be amongst the world's largest. But no political control whatsoever by the city's enemies in other parts of this septic isle.

Is right, it worked for the Italian city states, was working and building critical mass in Liverpool for a few decades until the state grabbed everything.

End of regionalism
City Region government with real powers

Am I missing something here!?


Agree very much for all the calls for increased trade/business with asia/usa.

Am I missing something here!?

Yes, you are. Deliberately too.

I'd like to add my wishes for my home the Wirral....

Removal of all barriers of movement between wirral and liverpool.
Addition of more crossings and possibly a bridge.
A directly elected mayor with real powers and complete removal of our useless council.
The end of regionalism to be replaced with a cross river commonwealth based union of liverpool and wirral as equal partners co-operating on mutually beneficial projects mainly infastructure based but also celebrating the river we share and our cultural crossover.
The end of this concept that major conhurbations of many tens of thousands of people are no more than overflow hamlets of Liverpool and the realisation that an opportunity exists to create a true downtown cityscape in Birkenhead.

Speaking of Birkenhead:

Wirral Waters to provide jobs and office space for much needed further job creation.
A university.
A true and well thought out and planned donwtown area of some sophistication making Birkenhead more upmarket (currently no one I know would dream of going clubbing or going to a bar in scummy Birkenhead central).
A vastly more ambitious transport policy including more ferry crossings, re-opening of a seacombe/egremont station with line through to Liverpool taking tens of thousands of cars off the roads and serving many thousands of commuters.
Tram loop for WW connecting to Liverpool city loop via mersey tunnel.

Lastly....The wholesale relocation of businesses from corporation road and cleveland street to existing and new purpose built wirral business parks, with incentives to move, and the building of a new public park with a major anchor (possibly new 20,000 seat TRFC stadium) on the site. This would have a huge community aspect similar to the stanley park project and some new build social housing.

This area is currently a red light district and as a major long stretch of roads leading from wallasey-birkenhead it is as depressing and run down a route as edge lane. Something needs to be done in general to birkenhead its the worst most depressed part of merseyside in my opinion.


New Brighton looks like its going to be fantastic. Im so pleased with the plans and the signs of movement on site now. I would like to see the pier and ferry return and the place will be complete. Im starting to see a lot more confidence in the place with resturants and bars opening in the last couple of years.

An inevitable consequence of a commonwealth of seperate townships in the metropolitan area would be the break up of Wirral MBC into at the very least its two main centres, Birkenhead and Wallasey. Be careful what you wish for.

An inevitable consequence of a commonwealth of seperate townships in the metropolitan area would be the break up of Wirral MBC into at the very least its two main centres, Birkenhead and Wallasey. Be careful what you wish for.

The clear and obvious strategy of WMBC is to create a city at Birkenhead over the next 20 years. That will be the centre of administration for the wirral.

Personally I have no problem with that and I dont see why people over the water should be bothered by that either since our ecconomy is tied anyway. A strong Birkenhead will make a strong Liverpool, particularly if barriers are removed when possible to cross river activity by road, rail and boat.

What im suggesting (seeing as the consensus seems to be that regionalism is disasterous) is that Wirral co-operates with Liverpool in a commonwealth style setup of just 2 on areas of cross mersey concern. I see no reason why Wirral in a regionalist set up should hold much of a sway in Knowsley or Sefton politically or financially when theres no real physical connection.

Suggesting that is in no way a seperatist agenda. I (and the majority of people on the wirral) want more links to Liverpool not less. It's just that politically most here dont want regionalism.

What happens with the NWDA and greater manchesters (real or imagined) encroachment should be the alarm bell.

On top of this you only have to look at the major liverpool bodies such as Liverpool Vision to understand where it would lead. The strategy is to develop L1 and hope wealth filters out. Meanwhile places outside of that such as toxteth, anfield and walton are left behind somewhat.

Birkenhead has some desperate needs that have to be adressed. It is a severely depressed place with some serious problems. Should Liverpool have to deal with this (if as some on here suggest we scrap Merseyside and simply become Liverpool/Greater Liverpool)? Would there be a will to given that policy of the city's of concntrating on the core centre?

Should Birkenhead wait as anfield/toxteth is having to, for attention?

It needs sorting NOW and for all WMBC's faults (and persoanlly I fell the whole setup is rotten to the core) at least there is a WILL to prompt a new downtown area (admitedly through peel).

An international multi-billion pound design competition to completely rebuild the city within the boundaries of Leeds st, Everton Park and finishing at bootle - keeping the best of the old, reopening old roads and wiping away planning mistakes and allow more of a grid pattern to emerge that encourages this end of the city to better connect to the city centre and primarily to itself.

Amen. So much potential. Who wouldn't want a home with a view like the one you can get from Everton Brow?

Oh, just forgot.

A decent, central, food market that sells good, fresh, local and international produce.

That's not too much to ask for is it?

OK. Apart from Merseytram:

A permanent ice rink in the city centre.

Reintroduction of the New Brighton Ferry.

Merseyrail City Line connected into the Link Line to give a full clockface of Merseyrail services.

New football stadia for both Liverpool and Everton F.C.

An exhibition hall to complement the Arena and Convention Centre.

Extension of Liverpool Airport's runway to permit long haul flights and the Eastern Access Road to connect it directly to the motorway network.

A direct rapid -transit link from Liverpool City Centre to the Airport (maybe Merseytram, maybe not)

A film set in Liverpool starring Hugh Grant.

Liverpool's own TV station producing quality networked programmes.

A new city square or park as a focus for the city.

A mega tall building - Shanghai Tower or taller and preferably an office tower.

Massive reconstruction of the Vauxhall / Scotland Road area to give a dense, vibrant city from Toxteth to Bootle.

A new Botanic Garden.

Extension of Merseyrail to Wrexham, Wigan, Warrington and Skelmersdale.

The post-panamax river terminal with electrified rail links.

Liverpool as a port of embarkation for cruise liners.

and Merseytram.

But who would you have starring with Hugh Grant? Please don't say Jennifer Ellison!

Cameron Diaz. She can stay in mine - rent-free!

Cameron Diaz is fine, you have to have an American interest in a Hugh Grant film.

Penelope Cruz, oh every time. We get Almódovar to write a tragi-comedy about a single mother (Cruz) from Woolton whose transgender actor brother (Andrew Schofield) is a psychic and foresees her son's meteoric rise to fame after he steals a manuscript from Frank Cotrell-Boyce, and in doing so brings all kinds of curses upon his household.
But in the end it's okay because Hugh Grant comes in and does his thing and Everything's Alright Forever.

With a soundtrack by Shack - 'Comedy'.

I can dream.

We've already had 51st State. Punishment enough?

But who would you have starring with Hugh Grant? Please don't say Jennifer Ellison!

A brassy scouse bird and a flapping posh nob. You know it would work in that wacky opposites attract style of rom-com.

The La's There she goes plays in the scene where the new ladylike and newly untango'd Jen is revealed, standing at top of the stairs of georges hall for the climatic romantic kiss scene.

Do it Hugh.

Bruce Willis in...

The Toxteth Riots

- a charming drama about an American man who finds romance amidst controversey whilst on vacation in Liverpool in 1981.

Hugh Grant and Eddie Izard holed up in Bootle would do the trick for Hugh. He has milked the bumbling fop persona for all it's worth and he's a bit of a shit in real life and this needs to be mined. Some kind of S & M thing going on could work - Eddie does a good sadist. Tina Malone could play a part, too - squatting on Hugh's face.

Hugh Grant needs edge. Bootle is waiting for him.

Tina Malone could play a part, too - squatting on Hugh's face.

Hugh Grant needs edge. Bootle is waiting for him.

Ive just thrown up my nutragrain.

I reckon Babs deserves a couple of days in the brig to consider what constitutes common decency. :lol:

I've met Tina (Tony knows her too I believe). She's just like she is on the telly like.

*aroused*

I've met Tina (Tony knows her too I believe). She's just like she is on the telly like.

She is... typecast they used to call it!

I saw her in Big Brother; fucking irritating's the phrase.

I saw her in Big Brother; fucking irritating's the phrase.

I saw her in Blonde fist, some scuffle in the middle of the street with Maaargi Claaaark. Something about "...bucket of piss water over yeah" from what I remember.

Didnt coolio call her a bowling ball with legs?

Dunno, but that would be an accurate description.

Oh man, Margi Clark is grating too!

OK So we have a film set in Liverpool starring Hugh Grant, Cameron Diaz and Penelope Cruz. (Tina Malone still under consideration but if she's met Awayo, Hugh Grant should have no problem).

Not bad. You held out until the 10th post. :lol: (don't worry, it was a flying visit and I won't ruin the thread)

PS. Liverpool needs Pall Mall like Manchester needed Spinningfields. Once you have a dedicated office quarter like Spinningfields and Brindley Place/Snow Hill in Birmingham, large national and international (finance/law) companies will come or relocate. Until you can offer them that, they will always chose cities that already offer that option.

Thats sooo very true

Stronger Political presence and leadership that is forward thinking, constructive and join up in its thinking. (a big ask I know)

Better connections and the re-instatement of all the major lost rail and sea links that would be of benefit as our economy continues to recover.

High Speed Rail in the first wave, not left behind to loose out when successive governments feel the pinch and pull the plug on future extensions.

LARGE BLUE CHIP MULTI NATIONALS to locate regional headquarters to the city as much as possible, as well as a major drive to encourage a more Entrepreneurial spirit to rise in the city and get us away from Public sector reliance or base.

Expanded Liverpool airport in line with the plans banded about by Peel in the last few years.

Major development of the ports in and around the Estuary/Liverpool Bay and a serious proposal for harnessing the power of water and wind, as well as encouraging new related industries close by and languishing resorts and coastal towns to see the river as an economic driver again.

Remove all tall buildings policies and nonsense and allow a more loose approach to planning. Loose in that Economic well being, design, quality and investment is put way ahead of a moan about a view or a issue regarding personal taste or box ticking.

Merseyside Dropped and replaced simply with Liverpool or Gtr Liverpool and a new completely business focused brand to be developed.

New, fresh initiatives to expand and build effectively on industries that have already established a base here, such as Wavertree tech park, creative industries, university related etc etc.

An international multi-billion pound design competition to completely rebuild the city within the boundaries of Leeds st, Everton Park and finishing at bootle - keeping the best of the old, reopening old roads and wiping away planning mistakes and allow more of a grid pattern to emerge that encourages this end of the city to better connect to the city centre and primarily to itself.

And last (im sure there is more in my head) and by no means least, FLATTEN st johns with the exception of the tower, Lime st with the exception of the cinema and former blacklers building (and the old pubs), The former rapid building, Clayton Square, Williamson Square, Queens Sq, Central Station street level and the former 051 club and car park (plus back of adelphi and create a whole new section of the city more befitting its position as an arrivals and departure point. At present its a mess.

: )

OMG you read my mind, I couldnt put it better myself. Can we have a Vegas Stratosphere tower in Liverpool too?

...
Demolish Paddy's Wigwam and build lutyen's cathedral.. but thats asking too much???

I like your style!

Vaguely realistic....

1. High speed rail link to London and to other UK cities.
2. Mayor of Greater Liverpool and Greater Liverpool assembly building.
3. Massive development of the Universities and Innovation Park, Science Park and the Design Academy to grow and be joined by a number of similar developments.
4. Regeneration of inner North Liverpool.
5. Wirral Waters to start to happen, with a new University being part of the development.
6. Cruise embarkation terminal.
7. Liverpool waters to start to happen.

Hicks and Gillett to fuck off. Liverpool Football Club to be run more like Barcelona.

How about Liverpool city being run more like Barcelona?

Carla Lane to be publically executed at the Pier Head, anyone?

Carla Lane to be publically executed at the Pier Head, anyone?

Load up a ferry with all the scouse 'wannabees', Cilla, Tarby, John Bishop, Ringo, Margi Clarke and few others.

We wave them off from the Pier Head and the ferry goes off into the sunset never to be seen again.

oh standing on the front Titanic stylee would be John (Waterways, Williams etc)
shouting 'Im the King of the Railways', "Restore Kings Dock" an nauseum.

Dreams

What's so hideously wrong with Margi Clarke for Christ's sake?

What's so hideously wrong with Margi Clarke for Christ's sake?

when some of my family lived in Kirkby they had a few 'encounters' with her so shes always on my list. I left Frank off didnt I ? :)

Silver Blades ice rink - where it was and externally as it was.

What Liverpool/Merseyside needs


All docks renovated and vibrant communities living around them. No shed or stadia or other runious objects, Removal of car parks and coach parks. Excavation of docks to give vibrant waterscapes.
Dock Rd removed
Liverpool Waters built
Wirral Waters built
Merseyrail made into a full metro using existing lines and tunnels serving Liverpool Waters, Wirral Waters, EFC, LFC, TRFC and the airport with lines from Mcr and Warrington run in.
Post-panamax terminal built
Cruise liner terminal extended with own Merseyrail metro station for embarkations.
Freight terminal at airport built with freight rail line used.
EFC having a new stadium with its own high throughput metro station. shifting most fans.
LFC having a new stadium with its own high throughput metro station. shifting most fans.
TRFC having a new stadium with its own high throughput metro station
Monorail in docks and city centre linking in with Merseyrail metro - echos of Overhead Railway.
Extension of Georgian quarter with Georgian buildings.
Mersey barrage built to lock in river and provide some power.
Extra freight lines run into the docks.
Implemetation of Land Vaue Tax to stop land price runaways and get rid of vacant properties - this is very important to lift the city.

when some of my family lived in Kirkby they had a few 'encounters' with her so shes always on my list. I left Frank off didnt I ? :)

she told me when they opened the fountain in Williamson Sq that it was a plot to kill us, as scousers are known for their poor brochial issues and the fountain would exacerbate them.


I am serious, as was she.

Why would Tranmere need a high capacity direct rail link!?

They have a small 14,000 seat stadium they never fill. They're lucky if the get gates of 8,000. The dispersal rate is one of the best in league football given that 99.9% of the fans live within a 10 mile radius.

They're a 10 min walk down borough road from town and 2 merseyrail station.

Have you ever been to Birkenhead John!?

Don't feed the troll, Toni. Please.

i think we need all that - investment and jobs sums it up.

The NWDA have just been awarded a shed load of money for the region and whatever people think about them they are about to dish it out so .... Please, have a look at the link below. I am looking at working with one of the bidders for the digital and creative venture fund. It would appear everything is hinging on media city and if we Liverpool do not get our act together then guess where it will go? If there is anyone out there interested in getting involved on the investee company side or the fund management, I would love to hear from you.

http://www.nwda.co.uk/working-with-us/supplying-nwda/current-tenders/fund-management-services-for-v.aspx

^^ The bidders conference for this is scheduled for 1.00 pm today at the Village Hotel, Warrington. That is one week after the notice of advertisement (date 20 January 2010) and attendees are restricted to two tickets for which prior application was required.

Read into that exactly what you wish but after 20 years dealing with NGOs and quangos, the words 'stitch up' spring readily to mind.:ohno:

I agree but I am working with a bidder who is from Liverpool and genuinely wants to grow our region so I think we cannot stop trying.

^^ The bidders conference for this is scheduled for 1.00 pm today at the Village Hotel, Warrington. That is one week after the notice of advertisement (date 20 January 2010) and attendees are restricted to two tickets for which prior application was required.

Read into that exactly what you wish but after 20 years dealing with NGOs and quangos, the words 'stitch up' spring readily to mind.:ohno:

That's how region NW operates.

Every time.

I agree but I am working with a bidder who is from Liverpool and genuinely wants to grow our region so I think we cannot stop trying.

Best of luck - and I genuinely mean that - but if you want a better chance of success create a postal address in Manchester and include it in your letterhead.

That doesn't work in Liverpool though - if you want to do serious business here you really do need to have a local office. If you are more interested in the NW then I agree, Manchester would be better.

@ seahorse - if you are not going down well with Liverpool audiences then you may need to think about the nature of the mis-match.

What do your feedback forms suggest?

That doesn't work in Liverpool though - if you want to do serious business here you really do need to have a local office. If you are more interested in the NW then I agree, Manchester would be better.

@ seahorse - if you are not going down well with Liverpool audiences then you may need to think about the nature of the mis-match.

What do your feedback forms suggest?

Babs - that was what I was suggesting - base yourself in Liverpool but get a post box address in Manc and include that in your letterhead. As with the Trotters - London, New York and Peckham!

That wouldnt work either. Locals would run a mile if they saw a business was trying to align itself with manchester for profit.

Also, ex-pats need to be careful about how they sell themselves to potential local angels. There's nothing worse than some soft shite who's spent a few years in London (or even worse, Manchester) and thinks s/he knows it all! I would give the teat of the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce a good suck - attend all their networking events, find out where the money/blag is. You have got to demonstrate your trustworthiness in Liverpool because it's full of scamsters milking grant aid.