Liverpool waterfront _460

LIVERPOOL will be restored to its rightful place on the world stage as a thriving international city over the next 15 years, according to a new vision launched today.

The plan is designed to help create thousands of jobs, increase the city’s population, make it one of the greenest, cleanest and safest in the country, and reduce health inequalities.

The vision will be launched later today, together with a new logo and brand which aims to help sell the city to the world.

City authorities have set a number of targets to achieve those aims.

They include building 38,610 new homes by 2021, reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill from 75% to 1% by 2024, and replacing Dublin as the premier Irish Sea cruise destination.

Last night, Liverpool Council leader Warren Bradley said: “This vision is a road map which will restore Liverpool to its rightful place as a thriving international city. It will allow us to improve life for everyone who lives and works in the city.”

The vision was put together over the past 18 months by Liverpool First, an organisation made up of public and private sector representatives.

It covers five key areas seen as vital to improve life in Liverpool – competitiveness, transport and communications links, health, keeping the city distinctive from others, and making it a thriving place with a clean, safe environment.

The vision pledges to increase the employment rate to the average of the UK’s big cities – it is currently 63.5%, compared with the average 74.5%.

To help do this, the council plans to dramatically improve the skills of city residents. Currently, 23% of the working-age population have no or low-level qualifications.

Around 78% of long-term unemployed are unskilled.

The vision also wants increase personal wealth levels from 86% to 92% of the national average.

Between 1998 and 2007, more than 10,000 jobs were created in the knowledge sector of science and technology.

But the percentage of Liverpool’s jobs in the knowledge economy is 27%, below the national average of 28.5%.

The vision recognises that this area needs to be expanded.

The focus of employment creation will be around Liverpool’s port, hi-tech jobs and green industries.

The plan also wants to increase the number of home owners by 10,000, from 55% to 60% by 2012, and also increase the number of homes in council tax bands C to H by 5% to 30%, to help raise the council’s tax base.

A large percentage of the new homes to be put up will be built in Housing Market Renewal areas and north Liverpool.