The Canal & River Trust appointed international architects, BACA, to produce the strategy as a guide to encourage and inform future development of the waterspace within the South Docks. It seeks to transform the UNESCO site into a vibrant cultural centre, extending from Canning Dock in the north to Brunswick Dock in the south. And in making use of its unique World Heritage setting, the strategy identifies potential for three distinct character zones within the docks:

(1) The Culture Zone: Albert and Canning docks could be the centre of future boat festivals, cultural celebrations and even a floating sculpture park.

(2) Mixed Use Zone: Salthouse Dock could be a floating event space for the public with improved access to the waterside. Dukes Dock and Wapping Basin could be home to a floating waterpark, including watersports, restaurants and quayside pavilions to encourage year-round activity.

(3) Leisure & Aquatecture Zone: New opening bridges in Wapping, Queens, Brunswick and Coburg docks could improve and enhance the existing marina and expand the number of moorings for a wide variety of boats, including floating homes.

Liverpool docks plansJulie Sharman, Head of Enterprise at the Canal & River Trust, said: “The architects have worked closely with key stakeholders during the last 18 months to develop an innovative and sustainable strategy to guide future developments within this wonderful historic dock system. There is so much potential and this strategy really pinpoints what we could see developed in the docks in the future.”

Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Councillor Malcolm Kennedy, said: “These are exciting proposals, which will play an important part in the future development of the South Docks. The city’s waterfront is one of our greatest assets and we want to develop it to its full potential. This strategy lays out the blueprint for how, working together, we can achieve that.”

Informed by the strategy, the Canal & River Trust will continue to work with the relevant parties to help develop the dock system into a world-class visitor attraction.

Written by: Alex Smith
Alex Smith is a journalist, copywriter and magazine editor with a long history in boating and a happy addiction to the water. He’s worked on boats, lived on boats, bought boats, sold boats and – when he’s not actually on board a boat – he can generally be found in his Folkestone office, tapping away at the computer and gazing out to sea.