Liverpool City Council in the UK said it has launched a Europe wide search to design a potential new cruise terminal on the River Mersey.
The authority is seeking to appoint a highly skilled technical team to advise on the detailed design and development of a new permanent facility at the former Princes Jetty, off Princes Parade. The present facility can handle calls of very large vessels, but it can only handle turnaround calls of ships with a maximum capacity of 1,200 passengers.
An OJEU (Official Journal of the European Communities) notice has been placed inviting tenders, which would include the task of managing the facility’s overall potential delivery and construction, with a deadline for submissions by Monday, 23 January 2017. The advert is part of the council’s strategy to explore how a new terminal could replace the current facility at the Pier Head, which opened in September 2007. Larger in size, the new terminal which would sit just 300 metres down river would be able to handle turnaround cruises with up to 3,600 passengers.
At this stage it is envisaged that a two storey building would be built on reclaimed land on the River Mersey as well as the construction of a new quay wall and changes on Princes Parade to allow coaches to drop off and pick up passengers. The new facility, if completed, would include a new passenger and baggage terminal, passport control, lounge, café, toilets, taxi rank, vehicle pick up point and a car park. It follows a doubling in the number of vessels visiting Liverpool since it became a turnaround facility in 2012 – up from 31 to 63. Passenger numbers are up from 38,656 four years ago to almost 79,000 this year plus 35,000 crew – generating more than £7 million for the local economy through spending while on shore.
Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson said: “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. It 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."
