The British government has officially approved plans for a major redevelopment effort on Merseyside after a lengthy consultation and application process.
The Liverpool Waters project will substantially increase the stock of office space available in the North West of England and is expected to create thousands of jobs in the region.
According to the Peel Group, the business behind the endeavour and several other major mixed-use development projects in the North West began planning in 2007. In addition to hundreds of thousands of square feet of new offices, the project will deliver substantial residential, leisure, services, and retail facilities.
The scheme targets largely disused former dockland sites on Merseyside. English Heritage and UNESCO, the United Nations’ world heritage body, have objected to the initiative.
“This is a well-deserved reward and justice for all those who never gave up supporting this scheme – the government is now demonstrating its support for Liverpool Waters too,” said Lindsey Ashworth, the Peel Group’s development director. “
“A big thank you goes to the people of Liverpool who have been behind this project all the way. Peel is proud to have worked in close partnership with the City of Liverpool – we believe it represents an exciting future for both,” he added.
Billions of pounds will be invested in delivering Liverpool Waters, and the Peel Group is confident it will have a major impact on Liverpool’s international competitiveness as a British business destination.
Other Peel Group undertakings in the North West of England include the MediaCityUK scheme, which has rejuvenated areas around Salford Quays in Greater Manchester.
Editor’s Notes: Since this story was published in 2013, the threat of Liverpool’s deletion from the UNESCO World Heritage List has hung over the city.
In July 2021, Liverpool was officially removed from the list, with the UN agency stating that developments such as Liverpool Waters and the proposal to build Everton football club’s new riverside stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock would cause irreversible damage to the historical value of the Liverpool docks area.
Although the city’s leaders were dismayed, the decision meant developers would face fewer restrictions.
In April 2023, 10 years into the Liverpool Waters project, Peel announced plans to submit amendments to its three-decade strategy for stakeholders to consider.
Peel had been granted 30-year planning permission on its 150-acre site to develop 9,000 homes, 3.3 million square feet of office space, 570,000 square feet of hotels, 500,000 square feet of food and beverage space, and up to 4.4 million square feet of car parking.
The amendments are expected to create a new heritage space in the Clarence Dock neighbourhood called ‘Dockside’, making the most of existing heritage features and increasing water access; create a diverse mix of homes, including affordable housing; and add a 2.3km riverside walk from Pier Head to Everton Stadium.
Peel was expected to make the official proposed amendments public in mid-April 2023.
An outline of the 30-year Liverpool Waters masterplan is available here.
As of October 2026, one of the most recent high-profile developments within the Liverpool Waters scheme was the delivery of Everton Football Club’s new stadium in the Northern Docks.
Known as Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium during construction, the stadium was named after the commercial dock on which it was built.
As of June 2026, Everton’s home stadium was named the Hill Dickinson Stadium for sponsorship purposes, named after the commercial law firm headquartered in Liverpool.
Also delivered through the scheme was 200,000 square feet of Grade A Net Zero commercial space at Princes Dock.