Liverpool City Council appoints engineering consultancy to develop new Mersey facility

Liverpool City Council has appointed engineering consultancy Ramboll to lead the development of a new permanent £50m cruise terminal facility on the River Mersey.

The design team, appointed after a European wide tendering process, also includes architects Stride Treglown, cost managers Gardiner & Theobald, global planning and property consultants JLL, and landscape architects Hyland Edgar Driver.

It will initially work on developing a detailed design on the proposed facility before submitting a planning application for the former Princes Jetty, off Princes Parade, later this year.

Additional applications could include supplemental projects with a new 200 room hotel and 1,100+ multi-storey car park.

Liverpool handled more than 60 vessels and more than 120,000 passengers and crew last year. The authorities said they wanted to capitalise on the cruise boom by creating a new passenger and baggage facility, featuring passport control, lounge, café, toilets, taxi rank and vehicle pick up point.

Subject to planning approval the Ramboll team would then project manage and assist with ongoing monitoring of construction of the new facility, as well as assisting with contractor procurement.

Liverpool mayor, Joe Anderson, said: “Liverpool needs a new cruise facility. Appointing Ramboll to lead this very experienced technical team is a key step in ensuring we develop a facility to the highest standards.It would also be a huge boost to our plans to regenerate the North Liverpool docklands and create thousands of new jobs.”

Dave Grove, project director, Ramboll said: “The cruise ship terminal project is one of vital importance to the City, and will secure the future of this new cornerstone in Liverpool’s economy. Having personally worked in the quayside area throughout my 20 year career at Ramboll, I am confident that we can deliver a design that will meet the highest standards and needs of all who will use the facility.” 

The council recently approved a new £20m waterfront link road by extending Leeds Street, to support the new facility and a new Isle of Man Ferry terminal, with construction expected to begin by 2019.