The UNESCO World Heritage Committee on Wednesday removed the Liverpool Harbor area from its list of protected sites. The Committee believes that its authenticity is being lost due to excessive urban development.
Thirteen delegates to the commission voted in a secret ballot to lower the level of the historic harbor in northwest England. Five members voted against. Chinese President Tian Xiujun announced that the required two-thirds majority had been achieved.
Liverpool Harbor is a symbol of the industrial age. The area was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2004. It features famous places such as the Taj Mahal and the Egyptian pyramids. The commission had to consider a report denouncing the management of a redevelopment project in the port area that had caused “serious deterioration and irreversible loss” of properties.
Mayor Joan Anderson finds the news “incomprehensible”. “I am very disappointed with this decision to revoke World Heritage status, after a decade of UNESCO visits to the city,” she said. Anderson wants to know if an appeal can be made to the British government. A spokesman said the British government was “very disappointed” with the decision.
New football field
UNESCO is disturbed, among other things, by the construction of the new Everton football stadium. The club’s move from Goodison Park to the pier area, at a cost of £500m, was approved earlier this year, despite protests from heritage organisations.
Liverpool City Council confirms that £700m has been invested in renovating historic buildings in recent years. An additional 800 million will be allocated in the coming years, including the Everton transfer.
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