Liverpool’s St George’s Gateway to undergo major regeneration
New "masterplan" to shape the future of key cultural area over the next decade
A significant regeneration project is being planned for Liverpool city centre, with the St George’s Gateway area set to be transformed under a newly commissioned masterplan.
Liverpool City Council has appointed LDA Design, supported by a multidisciplinary team of architects, planners and community engagement specialists, to create a development framework for the 35-hectare site.
The area includes some of the city's best-known landmarks such as St George’s Hall, the Liverpool Empire Theatre, the Walker Art Gallery and World Museum Liverpool.
The site has been identified as one of the city's major regeneration opportunities, particularly following the removal of the Churchill Way Flyovers which has opened up space for redevelopment.
The team, which includes Haworth Tompkins, PLACED, Aspinal Verdi, WSP, Pegasus and Hatch, has been tasked with producing a long-term strategy. The plan is being developed in partnership with Liverpool John Moores University and National Museums Liverpool.
According to the council, the goal is to produce a framework that is “visionary, ambitious and deliverable. " Once approved, it will be adopted as a Supplementary Planning Document, which would give it weight in planning decisions and provide guidance for potential investors.
The announcement follows the recent formation of a new city-wide regeneration board, Imagine Liverpool, intended to help speed up major developments and attract investment. Board members are currently attending UKREiiF, a national property sector conference, to promote various projects in the city.
Aims of the masterplan
The St George’s Gateway framework sets out to improve connectivity between the city centre and neighbouring areas, while also enhancing the public spaces around the city’s cultural institutions.
The draft plan is being developed alongside the masterplan for the nearby Pumpfields district, where the focus is on creating a mixed-use, residential-led neighbourhood.
It is also intended to align with the objectives of the proposed New Town Taskforce submission, which covers an area stretching from north Liverpool into parts of Sefton.
Six "guiding principles" that underpin the new framework:
Proposing public realm and landscape changes to improve walkability, access and connection with northern parts of the city. Suggesting transport improvements that align with Liverpool’s wider mobility and sustainability goals. Introducing green spaces to support biodiversity and climate resilience. Identifying development opportunities and setting a strategy for future land use. Recommending ways to bring derelict or underused buildings back into productive use. Establishing design codes to guide the character and use of new developments. The proposals are still at the framework stage and will be subject to council approval before any changes are implemented.