A vision for how Liverpool's business district could look in years to come has been approved by the council.
The so-called strategic reference framework (SRF) for the central business district (CBD) was approved by cabinet on Friday.
Separate from most main shopping areas in the city, the CBD stretches over most of the northern half of the city centre, from the waterfront to Old Haymarket and as far south as Victoria Street and Mann Island.
It is one of a number of areas, along with the Baltic Triangle and the Ten Streets, that will be the subject of an SRF when the city's new Local Plan comes into force next year.
By using the documents as factors when considering planning and licensing applications the council hopes to be able to shape the way different areas of the city develop.
The document, produced by consultancy firm Arup, doesn't tie the council in to making the improvements it suggests but instead acts as a framework for future developments.
In the case of the CBD Mayor Joe Anderson said it was imperative the area adapts to meet a growing business need for high quality office space in Liverpool, as well as making the area an attractive place for people to spend time.
He said: “This SRF shows that Liverpool’s potential is huge. All the ingredients are there to transform our ambitions into reality.
“We must now maximise every opportunity to ensure our commercial district fulfils its role as a major engine in the Liverpool Powerhouse and UK economy.”
The huge document has a wide-ranging vision for the CBD - but here are some of the aims it has for the area.
Better train stations - and new entrances
More and more people are likely to start coming in to Liverpool by train and the SRF envisions improvements for both Moorfields and James Street - the two stations in the CBD.
That could include upgrades of their current buildings, longer opening times of certain entrances and maybe even new access points for the stations.
At Moorfields, there's a call for the existing station building to be improved, with calls in the SRF for the station, currently accessed through steps and and an escalator, to have more 'grandeur' at street level.
The station's Old Hall Street entrance, used by many commuters, could be set for longer opening hours.
Although busy during peak hours, the entrance is only open until 7pm on weekdays and is closed at weekends - that could be set to change in the future.
And the SRF says there is the 'potential to open an additional James Street station entrance on the Pier Head' to try to link the waterfront up more with the rest of the city centre, though it's accepted this would be a long term proposal.
More attractive squares - and greener streets
A key aim in the future will also be making public spaces in the business district more attractive.
Exchange Flags and Derby Square, both at opposite ends of Castle Street, are both highlighted in the SRF as areas of huge potential but which currently don't attract people to spend much time in them.
Exchange Flags is described as "barren", while outside the Law Courts on Derby Square is deemed "unwelcoming".
Both could be the focus of improvement efforts in the future to try to draw people to spend more time in them.
There are also hopes Old Hall Street could get a make-over of its own, with what happened on Castle Street a few years ago acting as a partial inspiration.
Improvements on Old Hall Street could see parking spaces removed in favour of wider pavements and more greenery introduced along the road.
On the other side of the CBD, Old Haymarket could also see work done to make it more attractive after the Churchill Flyovers are brought down.
Way more office space
Unsurprisingly given the area's role as the commercial heart of Liverpool, a significant amount of the SRF is dedicated to office developments.
Encouraging them has been a key aim of Mayor Anderson and the council's plans for years - and the document warns that "concerns remain that office availability has reached an alarmingly low level".
The SRF places office development front and centre of the district's future, with a particular focus on the high grade space many companies look for.
Once adopted the SRF will look to encourage high grade office developments in large parts of the CBD.
Speaking earlier this week, Mayor Anderson said: "The supply of Grade A office space is critical to attracting major investors and jobs and this Spatial Regeneration Framework will underpin our long term vision to deliver that."
And fewer new build flats as a result
The last few years have seen a massive increase in the numbers of people living in the city centre in what could eventually reverse decades of decline if it continues.
But the need for more office space, particularly in the central business district, means the council is looking to limit brand new residential blocks and instead encourage reusing some existing buildings for housing.
The SRF says: "New build which is solely residential development should be resisted in lieu of growth opportunities involving new office stock.
"Controlled residential through existing stock re-purposing however could help with vibrancy."
Even more of a focus on the Three Graces
The Three Graces are an iconic feature of the city - and the SRF encourages the council to make even more of them.
It underlines points made in previous council documents which say that the ability to see the Three Graces from various locations in the business district has to be protected.
And it praises the renovations that have gone on in both the Cunard Building and the Liver Buiding for once again drawing in commercial tenants to some of the most prestigious and recognisable buildings in Liverpool.
Fewer bars and clubs open later - but more open earlier
In line with making the area more attractive for offices and ensuring most of the buildings have a use during the day as well as the night, the council is aiming to limit new establishments that will open after midnight.
The SRF says instead that "the area needs to develop an enhanced early-evening economy which supports office workers to
remain in the CBD after working hours, enjoy a post-work meal with colleagues and an opportunity to relax."
The CBD currently has a range of pubs, bars and clubs, although a significant chunk of the city's nighttime economy now sits further east towards Ropewalks, in other parts of the city centre or in the Baltic Triangle.
