Liverpool looks set to retain its World Heritage Site (WHS) status at a meeting in Bahrain today (26 June).

Last summer, UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee said the city’s position on the prestigious list would be considered for deletion at the assembly’s 42^nd conference.

Despite the committee’s draft decision that Liverpool should keep its World Heritage status, it will remain alongside medieval monuments in Kosovo as the only two European sites ‘in danger’ of removal.

The main threat to the city’s World Heritage status is the nature of proposed development in areas of the £5 billion Liverpool Waters scheme, specifically its Central Docks neighbourhood, which was given outline planning permission in June 2013.

However according to a report to be discussed by the committee this morning, the project’s developer Peel has recently confirmed to Liverpool City Council that there is no likelihood of the scheme moving forward in the same form of the outline planning consent.

The report adds: “Peel Holdings is undertaking a comprehensive review of the scheme and drawing up new neighbourhood masterplans taking full account of heritage considerations and recorded commentary by the World Heritage Committee.”

Alongside this, a Draft Desired State of Conservation (DSOCR) for the removal of Liverpool from the ‘in danger’ list has been proposed which includes a set of corrective measures and a timeframe for implementation.

Gerry Proctor, Engage Liverpool

According to Gerry Proctor, chair of Engage Liverpool CIC – which is acknowledged in the report for its engagement in the care of Liverpool’s World Heritage status – it was decided yesterday evening (25 June) that the Liverpool resolution will be ‘closed’.

‘Closed’ is a technical term for it not being opened to discussion because nobody has requested it to be.

It’s therefore expected that the decision will go as recommended by the World Heritage Centre in Paris and communicated in the Draft Resolution.

Gerry, who is in Bahrain and hopes to speak during the summit, says: “It’s so important that Liverpool keeps its World Heritage Site status that Engage Liverpool has crowdfunded my presence in Bahrain from dozens of people and organisations who are passionate about our UNESCO status.

“The 21 countries here who will vote on our city need to hear the authentic voice of its citizens valuing this status that sets us apart from almost every other city in the UK.

“We will not be taken off the ‘in danger’ list for some time but this meeting will give us the space to work at what we have promised and now must deliver.”

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