A cruise ship berthed at Liverpool
SHADOW Home Secretary Chris Grayling has called on the Department for Transport to relax rules preventing cruise liners from starting and finishing their journeys at the Pier Head.
The DfT has to give its approval before a “turnaround” facility can be provided at the £20m Cruise Liner Terminal because of a £9m grant from the European Union that helped fund it.
Mr Grayling, who also acts as shadow minister for Merseyside, said it was logical and reasonable that ships could start and finish their journeys at the Pier Head.
It comes after the Daily Post revealed how Liverpool Council had made a formal bid to the DfT to relax the funding conditions.
Officials from the government department travelled to the city last month to inspect the facility.
Mr Grayling said: “Even though there were conditions attached to the original European grant for the terminal, I hope that, in difficult times, and given the potential attractiveness of Liverpool’s heritage, that the EU will consider waiving those conditions.
