Liverpool unveils plans for new River Mersey cruise terminal

A planning application has been submitted for a £50 million (US$66 million) cruise terminal facility on Liverpool’s River Mersey to accommodate the world’s largest ships.

Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson said the development would be built on a suspended deck structure in the river and include the controlled removal of Princes Jetty.

A passenger and baggage facility would include passport control, lounge, café, toilets, taxi rank and vehicle pick-up point, while other planning applications may include a new 200-room hotel and 1,700-space multi-storey car park to help the city handle the next generation of turnaround cruises, which can carry up to 3,600 passengers.

This year the English city welcomed more than 60 vessels, with 120,000 passengers and crew generating more than £7 million a year for the city’s economy.

The application is expected to be heard by the council’s Planning Committee in January, with works to start in the second quarter of 2018 if approved.

Council is inviting tenders to select a design and build contractor to construct the facility. The closing date for submissions is Thursday, December 14.

The council is also in the process of promoting a harbour revision order through the harbour authority to construct the new terminal in the River Mersey.