Proposed facility would enable UK city to cater for turnaround calls bringing up to 3,600 passengers
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Liverpool City Council has launched a Europe-wide search for a technical team to advise on the design of a potential new permanent cruise terminal on the River Mersey in Liverpool, UK.
The council has placed an Official Journal of the European Communities notice inviting tenders, which would include the task of managing the facility’s overall potential delivery and construction. Submissions must be received by 23 January 2017.
The new potential new terminal has been proposed as a permanent replacement for the current temporary cruise facility at Pier Head, which opened in September 2007.
Larger in size, the new terminal which would sit just 300m down the river at the former Princes Jetty and would be able to handle ships making turnaround calls with up to 3,600 passengers.
If completed, the new facility would include a much larger passenger and baggage terminal, passport control, lounge, café, toilets, taxi rank, a vehicle pick up point and a car park. Liverpool City Council is also carrying out further maritime and infrastructure investigations, impact assessments and surveys.
“Liverpool Cruise terminal has been one of the city’s great success stories but we’re now at the stage where we need to relocate if we are to welcome the next generation of super liners,” said Joe Anderson, Mayor of Liverpool. “This tendering process for a design technical team is a vital step in exploring how we achieve that move and if we can, we do it to the highest standards.”
Since Liverpool became a turnaround facility in 2012, vessel numbers have doubled from 31 to 63, while passenger numbers have risen from 38,000 and are set to surpass 100,000 passengers in 2017. This will generate more than £7 million for the local economy through spending while on shore.
“Liverpool’s cruise industry has blossomed over the past decade, helping to transform the tourism appeal of Liverpool and give the Mersey a new lease of life,” said Angie Redhead, head of cruise operations in Liverpool, and also chair of CruiseBritain. “I’m privileged to be part of such a thriving, dynamic and forward thinking maritime community in the city I love and I’m really looking forward to our continued growth and success in the future as we develop plans for a new, larger cruise terminal.”