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]
Activities undertaken by the Corporation include the Liverpool International Garden Festival in 1984,[4] and the redevelopment of the Albert Dock complex,[5] which included the opening of Tate Liverpool[6] and the Merseyside Maritime Museum.[7] During its lifetime 7,600,000 square feet (710,000 m2) 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.[8]
The chairman was Donald Forster, who had previously been Chairman of Warrington and Runcorn Development Corporation,[9] and the first Chief Executive was Basil Bean, who had previously been general manager of the Northampton Development Corporation.[10] The corporation was wound up in 1998.[11]
