Five years after Liverpool was stripped of its UNESCO World Heritage Status, the city's leading regeneration expert believes the loss was worth it, as the development of Everton's new stadium and surrounding areas has spurred economic growth.
Background: Liverpool's World Heritage Status
Liverpool was granted World Heritage Status by UNESCO in 2004, recognising its maritime heritage and architectural significance, including the Albert Dock and St George's Quarter. However, tensions arose when Liverpool Council approved a £5.5 billion development plan for the northern docks in 2012, leading to warnings from UNESCO.
In July 2021, UNESCO voted to remove the status, citing the development of Everton's new stadium at Bramley Moore Dock as a cause of "serious deterioration" to the historic site. Then-mayor Joanne Anderson called the decision "incomprehensible."
Expert Opinion: Professor Michael Parkinson
Professor Michael Parkinson, an urban regeneration expert and author of "Liverpool on the Brink," argues that the trade-off was beneficial. "To lose the World Heritage status would be a shame. To lose Everton Football Club's new stadium and all the regeneration that comes with that, that would be a tragedy," he said.
Parkinson noted that the economic benefits of the status were minimal: "Frankly, we could find very few indeed." He added, "World Heritage Status should be for historic monuments, not for living cities."
Impact of the Stadium and Regeneration
Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium, completed in 2024, has already hosted international rugby and is a potential venue for summer music events. Parkinson described the stadium as "an extraordinary site" seen globally on Premier League television. The reputational benefits, he said, "far outweigh the short-term reputational damage of losing World Heritage status."
The development has also spurred further investment, including Peel's Liverpool Waters project, which will deliver 2,350 new homes in the Central Docks neighbourhood, and The Kings Development, which includes skyscrapers, 2,750 homes, and a five-star hotel.
Political and Community Response
Mayor Steve Rotheram launched a Mayoral Development Corporation in 2024 to accelerate development across 174 hectares between the city centre and the stadium. Parkinson believes Everton "almost shamed the city into doing something about north Liverpool," an area he previously called "a stain on our conscience."
He concluded, "The debate and conversation in Liverpool now about what kind of place you want to be is much better. It's probably one of the beneficial consequences of losing the status. So, thanks very much, UNESCO."
