The city's site is expected to be put on the 'in danger' list because of a multi-billion pound waterfront skyscraper schemeUnesco is taking the first steps towards taking away Liverpool's World Heritage Site status because of a multi-billion pound skyscraper scheme that will dominate the waterfront.Next week, Unesco is holding its annual meeting in St Petersburg, Russia, and Liverpool is on the agenda.The impact of Peel Holdings' �5.5bn Liverpool Waters scheme on the city's World Heritage Status, which covers the waterfront and the city centre, is to be discussed.Unesco recommends that Liverpool is placed on its heritage 'in danger' list. In a report it states: "The proposed development of Liverpool Waters constitutes a potential danger to the World Heritage property and, therefore, decides to inscribe Liverpool on the List of World Heritage in Danger, with the possibility of deletion of the property from the World Heritage List, should the current project be approved and implemented."In November last year, a delegation of Unesco inspectors visited the city to see what impact the Liverpool Waters scheme would have.During the visit, the inspectors warned that unless radical changes were made to a plan to build a series of skyscrapers along Liverpool's famous waterfront, the city could lose its world heritage status.It is a fate that Liverpool is keen to avoid as the world heritage status places the city that spawned the Beatles alongside the Pyramids and the Great Wall of China. Such is the importance of WHS, it is regarded as crucial to marketing the city to visitors. Furthermore, tourism is worth �3bn to the economy in Liverpool and around 42,000 jobs depend on it. When visitors are asked why they come to Liverpool, many cite the world heritage and capital of culture designations.Peel Holdings' �5.5bn scheme regenerates the deprived northern docklands by building shops, restaurants and offices. The company has already reduced the height of its controversial Shanghai Tower (which aims to replicate the Chinese city's dramatic waterfront) to 55 storeys.At the time, Professor Michael Parkinson of Liverpool John Moores University told me that given a choice of no development in north Liverpool and losing the world heritage status, it was a no-brainer."Without doubt, it is a very good thing to have the world heritage status and I'm sure it's helpful in sharpening the city's image," he said. "But we cannot be preserved in aspic and we have to have development."In January, Unesco concluded that the Three Graces would play "second violin" to the huge development and the site would be "damaged beyond repair" if the plans went ahead.However, Liverpool city council approved planning permission for the scheme in March this year. The government is waiting to receive the paperwork from the council before it makes a decision on whether a public inquiry is needed.Liverpool city council's spokesman said they were disappointed with the recommendation which "appears to be premature as the planning approval for the Liverpool Waters scheme has still to be finally determined." It will be submitted to the secretary of state who will decide on the way forward for the scheme. The council argues that it is possible to have a world-class development co-existing with its world heritage status.Liverpool's world heritage site officially stretches from Albert Dock, which has the largest collection of Grade I listed buildings in the UK, along the Pier Head and up to Stanley Dock. It takes in the elegant Edwardian "three graces": the Royal Liver, Cunard and Port of Liverpool buildings, which have defined the view from the Mersey for almost a century.If it loses its world heritage site status it will not be unique - Dresden lost its world heritage site status in June 2009 after building a bridge over the river Elbe.LiverpoolHeritageHeritageUnescoLiverpoolThe BeatlesSt PetersburgChinaDresdenShanghaiHelen Carterguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
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