Decision 40 COM 7A.31

Liverpool – Maritime Mercantile City (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) (C 1150)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/16/40.COM/7A,
2. Recalling Decision 39 COM 7A.43, adopted at its 39th session (Bonn, 2015) as well as Decisions 36 COM 7B.93 (Saint Petersburg, 2012), 37 COM 7A.35 (Phnom Penh, 2013) and 38 COM 7A.19 (Doha, 2014),
3. Notes that all stakeholders recognize the serious concerns of the World Heritage Committee over the potential threat of the Liverpool Waters development scheme to the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property;
4. Recalls the conclusions of the 2015 joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Advisory mission, in particular the need to reduce the urban density and height of the proposed development from the height maximums granted for the Liverpool Waters project, and also notes the need for a global approach, linking the strategic development vision to a regulatory planning document, which provides clear legal guidelines to protect the OUV of the property, and in turn helps developers design their projects accordingly;
5. Although noting that the State Party proposes to develop the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR) and the Liverpool Local Plan and Master Plan in tandem, and that they will not be approved before 2018, recalls however that the DSOCR is a tool and framework document which defines the state of conservation that a property must reach in order to demonstrate that it is no longer threatened by ascertained or potential serious and specific danger and to enable its removal from the List of World Heritage in Danger (the submission of the final draft of the DSOCR by the State Party and its approval by the Committee should come prior to the finalization and approval of the necessary planning tools and regulatory framework), and reiterates its request to the State Party to submit the final draft of the DSOCR to the World Heritage Centre by 1 December 2016, for review by the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies as requested in Decision 39 COM 7A.43, and to include the approval of the Local Plan and the revised Management plan as part of the agreed implementation plan for the corrective measures;
6. Further notes the confirmation from the State Party that a moratorium remains in place for the Liverpool Central Docks, but requests the State Party to ensure that only repair and reuse of historic buildings, maintenance works and small scale projects should receive permission within the rest of the property until the DSOCR is finalized and adopted;
7. Notes furthermore the submission by the State Party on 8 July 2016 of new information about two projects: Princes Reach, Princes Dock, Liverpool and Proposed Student Residences in Skelhorne Street, Liverpool and also requests the State Party to ensure that neither project receives project approval, until the DSOCR has been finalized and adopted;
8. Further requests the State Party to submit the draft Local Plan and Master Plan to the World Heritage Centre, for review by the Advisory Bodies, before either document is considered for adoption by either Liverpool City Council or the State Party, and to submit the final Local Plan and Master Plan to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2018;
9. Requests furthermore the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre by 1 February 2017, a progress report on the elaboration of the Liverpool Local Plan, for review by the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies, it being understood that no new detailed plans affecting the property will be approved by either Liverpool City Council or the State Party before the DSOCR is officially adopted by the Committee;
10. Requests moreover the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2017, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 41st session in 2017;
11. Decides to retain Liverpool – Maritime Mercantile City (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) on the List of World Heritage in Danger, with the possibility of deletion of the property from the World Heritage List in the absence of timely implementation of the above recommendations.