LORD HESELTINE will urge Prime Minister David Cameron to relocate thousands of civil service jobs to Liverpool and make the city the home of the country’s first Green Investment Bank in order to boost the regional economy.

The former secretary of state for trade and industry co-authored a 50-page report on how to grow the Liverpool city region, being given to Mr Cameron today.

Recommendations put forward by Lord Heseltine and co-writer Terry Leahy, former chief executive of Tesco, include:

Making Liverpool the home to the first Green Investment Bank to boost environmental and clean energy projects;

Making the Mersey the cleanest urban river in the world within 25 years;

Supporting a drive to make Liverpool the home of the first World Expo in the UK since the Festival of Britain in 1951;

Relocating civil service jobs to the region in order to set an example to major businesses and end the economic grip of the South East;

Pooling business rates across the region’s six authorities in order to support high-return growth projects;

Building on the city’s reputation as a “creative hub” by creating free, blanket wi-fi coverage across the business district.

In the preface to his report, Lord Heseltine wrote: “These are not ‘pie in the sky’ ideas, but practical suggestions as to how the city region can build upon its existing strengths and shape its future to ensure that it remains competitive and prosperous.”

On the green investment bank pitch, he wrote: “There are many candidates but Liverpool’s banking history and current success is sectors such as wealth management and insurance make it an obvious choice.”

When asked by the Daily Post if he believed Mr Cameron would take the recommendations on board, he said only: “That’s a matter for the Prime Minister.”