“Imagine Liverpool” New regeneration board established

Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram (L) and Council Leader, Cllr Liam Robinson (R), with the city’s new Imagine Liverpool regeneration board

Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram (L) and Council Leader, Cllr Liam Robinson (R), with the city’s new Imagine Liverpool regeneration board

A new team of experts tasked with supercharging a multi-billion pound regeneration drive in Liverpool, has been announced.

Called Imagine Liverpool, the partnership – to be chaired by Patrick Nolan, former Vice Chairman, HSBC Global Banking & Markets – has been appointed to accelerate development within the city over the coming decade.

Imagine Liverpool will consist of 13 board members including former economic adviser to Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Lord Stewart Wood, and Liverpool-born, BAFTA-winning producer Jimmy Mulville.

The team of national and international experts, whose formation has been endorsed by Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner, MP, have been given a brief to act as ambassadors and advisors for Liverpool, with the aim of helping to give confidence to investors, landowners, developers and occupiers in the reshaping of the city’s economic landscape.

The new team gathered for their first meeting in Liverpool today (Monday, 19 May) before a delegation heads to the UK’s Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum, tomorrow, to promote investment opportunities in the city.

A recruitment drive for the board was announced last Autumn with a brief to “provide strategic leadership to drive forward regeneration opportunities, accelerate development, and enhance the quality of life for the city’s residents”, in a new phase in the development of the city.

As one of the fastest growing cites in the UK, Liverpool City Council wants to take advantage of brownfield sites to deliver thousands of quality new homes to meet the governments housing targets. It also wants to focus on the specialisms of the city in health and life science, creative and digital, maritime and advanced manufacturing to innovate, accelerate job creation and diversify the economy.

One area of focus will be Liverpool’s iconic waterfront and docks. Capitalising on Everton FC’s arrival at Bramley Moore Dock, and the private sector investment from the Fredkin Group, as well as nearby schemes backed by Tom Morris and Global Port Holdings, Imagine Liverpool will oversee the establishment of the emerging Locally Led Urban Development Corporation for the city’s North Docks to support and accelerate development.

The board will also input into the New Town bid which aims to create an urban extension in North Liverpool. Developed jointly with Sefton Council, this ambitious long-term vision to revitalise this key part of the city includes plans to develop 10,000 new homes.

In addition to having oversight into an existing pipeline of major projects, including Festival Gardens, Kings Dock, Paddington Village South and the Littlewoods TV and Film Studios, the new board will have a strategic overview on regeneration city wide. They will also advise on the city narrative that builds a strong investable proposition to secure private and institutional investment, foreign investment, and future allocations from government.

Imagine Liverpool was a key recommendation of the Liverpool Strategic Futures Advisory Panel, chaired by Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram with support from Baroness Judith Blake and the late Sir Howard Bernstein.

The Imagine Liverpool team will be supported by the Council’s City Development Team.

Imagine Liverpool – board members:

• Patrick Nolan, ex-Vice Chairman HSBC and Director Delfina Advisory Ltd
• Stewart Wood, The Right Honourable Lord Wood of Anfield
• Louise Shepherd, Regional Director (North West) for NHS England and former Chief Executive of Alder Hey children’s hospital
• Mitchell Silver, Former Commissioner of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation
• Emma Frost, Director at Fern Consulting Services Ltd & Chair of UK Innovation Districts Group
• Ana Nishnianidze, Director of Trade and Investment for the City of London Corporation
• Bronwen Rapley, Chief Executive, Onward and Chair of Homes for the North
• Deirdra Armsby, former Director of Place Shaping and Town Planning at City of Westminster
• Nic Byrne, Entrepreneur and Founder of Urban Calm
• Andy Hunt, Senior Director of Quod
• Jimmy Mulville, Co-Founder of Hat Trick Productions
• Dr Susie Mitchell, Programme Director for Glasgow City of Science and Innovation

For more news from Liverpool City Council click HERE.