Merseyside Development Corporation
 | |
| Formation | 1981 |
|---|---|
| Dissolved | 1998 |
| Type | Development Corporation |
| Headquarters | Liverpool |
Official language | English |
Key people | Basil Bean |
The Merseyside Development Corporation was a central government-appointed Development Corporation set up in 1981 by Margaret Thatcher's government to regenerate the Mersey docks of Liverpool, Bootle, Wallasey and Birkenhead.
History
[edit]The corporation was established as part of an initiative by the future Deputy Prime Minister, Michael Heseltine, in 1981 during the First Thatcher ministry.[1] Board members were directly appointed by the minister and overrode local authority planning controls to spend government money on infrastructure. This was a controversial measure in Labour strongholds such as East London, Merseyside and North East England.[2][3]
Actitivies undertaken by the Corporation include the Liverpool International Garden Festival in 1984,[4] and the redevelopment of the Albert Dock complex, which included the opening of Tate Liverpool.[5] During its lifetime 7.6m sq.ft. of non-housing development and 486 housing units were built. Around 22,155 new jobs were created and some £698m of private finance was leveraged in. Circa 944 acres (3.82 km2) of derelict land was reclaimed and 60 miles (97 km) of new road and footpaths put in place.[6]
The chairman was Donald Forster, who had previously been Chairman of Warrington and Runcorn Development Corporation,[7] and the first Chief Executive was Basil Bean, who had previously been general manager of the Northampton Development Corporation.[8] The corporation was wound up in 1998.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ "The Merseyside Development Corporation (Area and Constitution) Order 1986". Hansard. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
- ^ Parkinson, Michael; Duffy, James (1984). Government's Response to Inner-City Riots: The Minister for Merseyside and the Task Force. Vol. 37. Parliamentary Affairs. pp. 76–96.
- ^ Crick, Michael (1997). Michael Heseltine: A Biography. Hamish Hamilton. p. 238. ISBN 978-0241136911.
- ^ A riot of colour for Toxteth at Liverpool flower festival. The Times. May 7, 1983
- ^ Dockland 'Tate of the North' . The Times. June 17, 1983.
- ^ National Audit Office report dated 27 February 2002.
- ^ "Merseyside Development Corporation". Hansard. 14 January 1987. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
- ^ Bringing dead dockland to life. The Times. January 27, 1981
- ^ "The Urban Development Corporations in England (Dissolution) Order 1998". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
