A NEW strategy to further develop retailing in Liverpool city centre is being devised.

Property consultant Drivers Jonas Deloitte will develop a strategy for the whole of Liverpool’s main retail area, including Church Street and Liverpool One.

The firm will aim to determine a long-term plan for the second phase of the city’s regeneration now Grosvenor’s Liverpool One is well established.

Drivers Jonas Deloitte’s study will examine ways of bringing fresh retail property investment into the city centre and monitor the area’s performance for Liverpool City Council, Liverpool Vision, Merseytravel, City Central BID, Grosvenor and Land Securities.

Cllr Malcolm Kennedy, Liverpool City Council regeneration and transport cabinet member, said: “This project is a great example of how organisations from both the public and private sector can work together.

“Through careful planning and collaboration between stakeholders we can help move Liverpool to the next stage of its development.”

Since opening in 2008, Liverpool One has helped the city climb Experian’s national league table of shopping destinations from 15th to fifth place and attracted more than 60 new retailers to Liverpool. The city has made similar progress attracting international visitors and as a conference venue has jumped from 16th to 6th in the UK and 245th to 86th globally.

It is hoped the report will help to support a growth in Liverpool’s visitor economy by a further 60% in 2020.

The report will focus on non-Liverpool One areas including Bold Street, Lime Street/Renshaw Street, Williamson Square, Whitechapel, Met Quarter, Cavern Walks and St John’s and Clayton Square precincts.

In particular, it is hoped that the study will help to develop better links between the main retail district and non-retail areas.

Drivers Jonas Deloitte has assembled a team including planners BDP and retail consultants Lunson Mitchenhall.

Ged Gibbons, City Central Business Improvement District chief executive, said: “This is a welcome and independent appraisal.

“This is not a negative report to ask if we’re doing it wrongly, this is about the next chapter.

“It is a mature approach involving the major parties in the city centre, who represent 90% of the city centre retail offer.

“This is an evolving city and we need to think where all parts of it are going.

“It’s no value to Liverpool One if Church Street has tumbleweed blowing down it. There should be no silo mentality by any area.”