A MULTI-BILLION pound skyscraper development is vital to Liverpool’s future, a city MP said last night.

Louise Ellman said the Liverpool Waters scheme was the single biggest potential driver of the city’s economy – and heritage concerns must not be allowed to derail it.

Her intervention came days after the Daily Post revealed a campaign committee had been set up to persuade Unesco officials not to strip Liverpool of its World Heritage Site status.

Unesco is concerned about the impact of Peel Holdings’ £5.5bn Liverpool Waters scheme to regenerate the city’s northern docklands.

It has warned the city could lose its World Heritage status if the project is given planning permission.

It is sending a monitoring mission to report back to the next annual meeting of Unesco’s committee, due to be held next summer.

Liverpool Council has delayed making a decision on Peel’s planning application until after the visit from the Unesco inspectors.

Mrs Ellman, whose Riverside constituency includes the huge development area, said: “The proposed investment of Liverpool Waters is Liverpool’s biggest opportunity.

“It offers thousands of jobs and billions of pounds in investment.

“There must be a way of resolving the problem with English Heritage. It is vital that the investment goes ahead – it is vital for the whole city. At a time of cutbacks, this investment must be seen as the priority.

“We must find a way to resolve the issues with English Heritage and Unesco.”