Liverpool waterfront development prompts Unesco visit

Fears for future of world heritage status grow amid regeneration project near Three Graces

Unesco is visiting Liverpool next week to consider whether the city's waterfront should lose its world heritage status. The UN body is sending a monitoring mission to the city because it is concerned about the impact of Peel Holdings' £5.5bn Liverpool Waters scheme. Liverpool's world heritage site takes in the elegant Edwardian "three graces" – the Royal Liver, Cunard and Port of Liverpool buildings – which have defined the view from the river Mersey for almost a century. Earlier this year, an independent report commissioned by English Heritage warned the waterfront could lose its world heritage status if the project to regenerate the city's northern docklands is approved.

The three-day mission will arrive on 14 November and report its findings by 23 December at the latest.

Heritage campaigner Wayne Colquhoun, who was instrumental in persuading Unesco to send its inspectors, said he hoped they would not repeat "past mistakes".

Contributor

Helen Carter

The GuardianTramp

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