LIVERPOOL will lose its World Heritage Site status if the £5.5bn Liverpool Waters skyscraper plan goes ahead without “radical” changes, Unesco inspectors have warned.
Last week’s three-day Unesco inspection “could not have gone any worse”, a top-level source has told the Daily Post.
They added that the inspectors, led by Ron van Oers, had left the city with “100%” clear guidance that, unless Peel’s Liverpool Waters project is radically changed, they will recommend the city be stripped of the World Heritage accolade.
At one point during the visit, the usually mild- mannered Dutchman Mr van Oers was so angered by the plans, he stormed: “This goes too far”.
It is understood initial steps would see the inspectors issuing a recommendation to the World Heritage Committee that Liverpool be put on the list of World Heritage in Danger.
Once work then starts on Peel’s huge scheme to regenerate the city’s northern docklands, the city would be stripped of its status, which was only granted in 2004.
The inspectors’ report will be written by December 23 and will be sent to Liverpool council and Peel within two to four weeks.
Unesco’s World Heritage Committee will vote on its findings in June.
Ian Pollitt, a Peel director, said: “We were given a fair crack of the whip and thought it went well.”
He said any judgments about how the visit had gone would be “guess work” and that the company was now waiting for the inspectors’ report.
The company has previously said it will not compromise any further on the scheme, having already dramatically reduced the number of skyscrapers.





