National Museums Liverpool Canning Graving Docks Quayside Enabling Works

This project of minor enabling works is located at the Canning Graving Docks. It is currently an unrealised focal point within the heart of Liverpool's maritime World Heritage Site. Over the course of the next ten years, our vision is to develop this spectacular eighteenth-century dockland to create a modern visitor destination.

The Canning Graving Dock quaysides are currently inaccessible, with waste building materials stored across the site and fencing restricting public access. This project is aimed at clearing the largest quay of materials and debris, replacement of heras and low level crowd barriers surrounding the quayside perimeter, the design and installation of temporary lighting, repair of loose or missing setts, and preparing the site for any future works. The site must be cleared and safe to use by the public by the October 2020.

These works are the first phase of minor enabling works, and whilst the lighting and fencing are temporary interventions, they must be robust enough to withstand wind loading and vandalism, and operate for the duration of time until the next phase of works may be undertaken.

In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, clearing the site and opening up to the public once more is all the more pressing. Having the site open for visitors to enjoy will also provide opportunities to hold events and commercial activities, which will assist NML in the recovery period.

NML seeks a contractor to undertake the enabling works at the Canning Graving Dock quayside. The works will involve the following areas: site preparation, fencing, lighting and interpretation display stands.

The site preparation will include the removal of building materials from site, clearing all loose debris and repairing any loose or missing granite setts. Surplus sets are located onsite and available to use for remedial works.

Access to the site is currently restricted by low level crowd barriers and heras fencing, which have been in situ for some time. Several fencing sections have become damaged and additional sections are required. The contractor will be required to remove parts of the existing fencing/ barrier sections and replacing with low level pedestrian barrier throughout the perimeter of the largest quay. The barrier must be braced and anchored to the ground to prevent any movement from wind loading or interference by people. The barrier must provide adequate restraint from the steep drop into the Graving Dock basin one the one side, and the Canning Half Tide Dock to the other side. There is also a railing situated between the Lusitania propeller and the Carters Horse monument which must be removed, and the ground made good.

These works are aimed at enabling public access and any future developments to the site which we may undertake. Works must be complete by the end of summer to enable public access by the October half term 2020.