LIVERPOOL’S latest flagship waterfront building was pushed through planning despite warnings it was at “high risk of flooding”.

The Environment Agency (EA) say the £9.5m ferry terminal is the only major scheme in Liverpool they objected to in 2007 and 2008 in which their advice was shunned.

Agency officers also say projects that go ahead contrary to their advice could struggle to qualify for insurance.

Liverpool City Council have since sent a letter apologising for not taking heed of the warnings.

And Merseytravel claim a later independent risk assessment gave the terminal the all-clear. But the EA remain concerned the advice was side-stepped in the first place.

The council also breached protocols by failing to refer the application to Government Office North West after they chose to ignore the agency’s advice. They told Liverpool planners about the risks the month before decision makers gave the scheme approval.

But Merseytravel, who are in the final stages of building the terminal, had not carried out a flood risk assessment.

Just a year earlier Liverpool’s pontoon jetty had been swept into the Mersey and sank during a high tide and severe storm.

An EA spokeswoman said: “The Environment Agency is concerned Liverpool’s new ferry terminal was approved despite land being at high risk of flooding and the fact no flood risk assessment was submitted with the original application.”

The terminal is one of just 16 “major” schemes nationwide that were approved in spite of EA flood warnings. Merseytravel say they commissioned an independent flood risk assessment which says there is no risk of flooding.