LIVERPOOL's Pier Head could become a base for cruise liners under radical temporary plans to transfer business from a dilapidated dock.

Last year the Government blocked plans to make the world heritage waterfront a start and finish base for cruise liners – forcing ships to continue using Bootle’s Langton Dock to access full “turnaround” facilities like baggage handling and passport control.

The less than impressive welcome view for passengers there is a nearby scrapheap rather than the Three Graces.

But today the Daily Post can reveal officials from the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company, owned by developer Peel, are in discussions with the city council to temporarily transfer cruises from Langton Dock to the publicly-owned landing stage at the Pier Head.

It is hoped by merely maintaining the number of cruises that depart and terminate their journeys from the Pier Head at the same level as at Langton Dock, it would help appease places like Southampton that have long seen Liverpool as a rival to their cruise business.

The plans would not affect the ships that visit the Pier Head for stopover visits.

Peel last night insisted this was a short- term solution as it wants to build its own cruise terminal as part of its £5.5bn skyscraper Liverpool Water scheme.

Lindsey Ashworth, development director, said: "It would be nice to do the Shanghai Tower, the cruise terminal, and a hotel in the first phase of development (in Liverpool Waters)".

He said the company would be submitting a planning application for Liverpool Waters skyscraper scheme – the largest urban regeneration project in the UK – in late April or early May.

Mr Ashworth said if the downturn had properly ended and the market started to pick up the firm could start work on the first phase of Liverpool Waters as early as 2011 or 2012.

In December transport minister Paul Clark ruled a bid to allow the city’s Pier Head cruise terminal to have a turnaround facility would breach EU competition law, as it had received £9m of funding from Europe.