Topic: Liverpool's new dock plans sound promising...

An article in the Liverpool Daily Post has revealed that officials are in discussions to transfer cruises from Langton Dock to the landing stage at the Pier Head.

Although a temporary measure, not only will passengers enjoy a nicer view as they sail into the city, but it would give developers the chance to build a better cruise terminal, as part of a £5.5bn skyscraper 'Liverpool Water' scheme.



The development company, called Peel, will be submitting a planning application for the scheme in late April or early May.

If approved, it will be the largest urban regeneration project in the UK.

Lindsey Ashworth, development director, said: "It would be nice to do the Shanghai Tower, the cruise terminal, and a hotel in the first phase of development (in Liverpool Waters)".

Mr Ashworth said if the downturn had properly ended and the market started to pick up the firm could start work on the first phase of Liverpool Waters as early as 2011 or 2012.

Last year, the government ruled out a bid to allow the city’s Pier Head cruise terminal to have a turnaround facility, saying that it would breach EU competition law, as it had received £9m of funding from Europe.

Cruiselines such as Fred. Olsen and Thomson have long been dissappointed with the state of Langton Dock, but up until now it has been the only place where ships can start and end their voyages.

Located in Bootle's industrial dock, passengers have been greeted with a towering scrapheap.

Ian Pollitt, development surveyor, said "The company is trying to find solutions to cruise liner companies having to use Langton Dock".

"What we are looking at now is a half-way house. Rather than lose the business, we are talking about relocating it to the Pier Head."

Should the proposed terminal be built, the cruise liners would return to a base further up the river as soon as it opens.

The terminal has been fully designed and would be located near another proposed addition to the skyline - a 60-storey Shanghai Tower.