Peel holdings boss plea for new city planning regime

Sep 5 2008 Neil Hodgson

THE owner of Liverpool docks and John Lennon airport today made an impassioned plea to create a new planning regime to achieve £50bn of investment.

John Whittaker, founder of Peel holdings, was outlining the group’s plans to invest the sum along the Manchester ship canal on a river cruise with MPs and business leaders today.

They include the magnificent £10bn Liverpool and Wirral Waters schemes.

Mr Whittaker said: "Peel’s Ocean Gateway vision represents a golden opportunity for the whole North West region.

"The concept should have its own planning regime, led by the regional development agency and local authorities involved, so we can overcome each authority objecting and fighting each other, as well as streamlining and speeding up the planning process.

"This is not a Peel concept, it already exists in the Thames Gateway. It is a fantastic opportunity."

Mr Whittaker met with Gordon Brown during his visit to Liverpool yesterday and will travel to Downing Street to lobby the Prime Minister about his vision.

He said: "The Ocean Gateway concept’s 20,000 acres along the ship canal can propel Liverpool and Manchester to greater economic success.

"We now have the opportuntiy to uplift the whole region with these two great cities."

Mr Whittaker said Peel will welcome other investors to join in the concept for the benefit of the region.

He said: "If we all pull together, we can create the most dynamic region in the whole of the UK.

"It is up to us to grasp the opportunity."

Mr Whittaker added: "We have commited ourselves for at least 50 years to ploughing everything back into the company and the region."

He also hit out at the lack of support for Peel’s plans in some quarters, like planning delays.

He said: "If we were an inward investor committing £50bn, there would be a red carpet from here to Downing Street several times over, but as an indigenous company, we do not get the credit we deserve."

Today’s briefing took in 24 prospective sites from Salford Quays to the Mersey, including projects at Ellesmere Port, Port Wirral, the Port of Liverpool, and Liverpool and Wirral Waters.