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Baltic Triangle

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Coordinates: 53°23′45″N 2°58′45″W / 53.395831°N 2.979119°W / 53.395831; -2.979119
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Baltic Triangle
View up Jamaica Street in the Baltic Triangle
Baltic Triangle is located in Merseyside
Baltic Triangle
Baltic Triangle
Location within Merseyside
Metropolitan borough
Metropolitan county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townLIVERPOOL
Postcode districtL1, plus a small part of L8
Dialling code0151
PoliceMerseyside
FireMerseyside
AmbulanceNorth West
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Merseyside
53°23′45″N 2°58′45″W / 53.395831°N 2.979119°W / 53.395831; -2.979119

The Baltic Triangle is an area of Liverpool city centre defined by Liverpool City Council as the triangular portion of the city bounded by Liver Street, Park Lane, St James Street, Hill Street, Sefton Street and Wapping.[1]

In 2020, the area was home to over 500 businesses employing more than 3,000 people, hundreds of which are in the creative and digital sectors. The district has been nationally and internationally recognised for its bohemian character which includes independent markets, beer gardens, music venues, art spaces, workshops and design studios which coexist alongside tech businesses and new housing developments for students and young professionals.[2][3][4][5][6]

History

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19th century

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Gustav Adolf Church

At the height of Liverpool's importance as a major port in the 19th century, the area was home to timber yards and warehouses that stored wood imported from places such as Norway which was needed for major building projects around the UK. As many as 50,000 people from Sweden, Norway and other nations on the Baltic Sea were passing through the city each year. Many sailors and merchants had international dealings in the timber trade, whilst many people were passing through Liverpool's port with plans to emigrate to places such as the United States. As a result of this influx and so many spending time in the city, a Scandinavian community formed in the area now known as the Baltic Triangle. Evidence of this period survives today in the Grade II* Gustav Adolf Scandinavian church and the Grade II Baltic Fleet pub, which still stand.

Other suggestions include that the area was once home to a small but lucrative whaling industry and is named after the fishing grounds. Greenland Street, for example, was named after the fishing grounds.[7][8][9]

The Baltic Fleet public house, dating from the neighbourhood's Scandinavian past, still survives today

20th century

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During the Second World War, the area was heavily bombed and few of the original industrial buildings survived. A programme of post-war re-building took place which included a number of light industrial units.[10][11]

21st century

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The area fell in to decline which persisted in to the mid 2000s. During its decline, the area was seen as 'forgotten', its buildings lay empty, abandoned and disused and for a period of time its poorly lit streets operated as a red-light district. In 2004, Liverpool City Council campaigned for the area based on Kempston Street and Jamaica Street to become one of the UK's first official managed zones for working prostitutes, where prostitution would be officially tolerated. However, the idea received little support from the UK central government.[12][13][14][15][16]

Creative district

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Large warehouse on corner of Jamaica Street and Greenland Street which now houses Elevator Studios

From the mid 2000s, the Baltic Triangle has attracted a wide variety of creative and digital businesses, musicians, artists, photographers, fashion designers, recording studios, architects and film makers.

Shortly after the City Council plan for a managed zone for sex workers failed to garner central government support, the focus of the Baltic Triangle began to shift. Amongst the dereliction and decaying architecture, a series of underground music gigs were taking place in some of the underused buildings. Low rents associated with rundown spaces, which were off the beaten track, provided an impetus for artists and creatives to utilise neglected warehouses. Events linked to the 2006, 2008 and 2010 Liverpool Biennials provided a catalyst for the area's renaissance as a creative district.

Jayne Casey, known locally from the city's 1970s music scene, led the campaign to bring culture in to the area, which ultimately led to the foundation of the Baltic Creative. The group was set up as a not-for-profit Community interest company to protect the interests of creative and digital businesses. Casey and her colleagues argued that once property developers saw the Baltic Triangle as an up-and-coming area, creative companies and artists run the risk of being forced out by gentrification and profit-driven developers. Baltic Creative was established in 2009 to ensure that creative businesses were able to own the property they were regenerating, thus preventing them from being displaced later by property developers. With the help of public funding and several grants, the Baltic Creative purchased and refurbished 18 warehouses and sheds in the area, and converted them into office space for creative and digital businesses. The initiative led to the opening of dozens of businesses and employment for hundreds of people.[17][18][19]

Cains Brewery Village opened in 2015 and houses workspaces, markets, food and drink venues[20]

Elevator Studios opened in the neighbourhood in 2007 as a hub for music production, art, tech, games and marketing companies.[21] Camp and Furnace opened in 2012 as a food and events space.[22] 24 Kitchen Street followed in 2013 as a mixed-use event space for underground music.[23] Cains Brewery Village opened in 2015 as a leisure destination and in 2022, Boxpark announced that they would open their first venture outside of London in the Baltic Triangle.[24][25]

By 2020, more than 500 businesses were based in the Baltic Triangle employing some 3,000 people across creative and digital industries, bars, cafes, restaurants and nightclubs.[26]

Regeneration initiatives

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Liverpool City Council unveiled plans in March 2018 to extend the boundary of the Baltic Triangle to include the Dock Road, Sefton Street and Brunswick Station. The move was designed to stop an increase in the number of housing developments and protect space for businesses.[27] The idea did not go ahead, however, in 2020, the City Council formulated a Supplementary Planning Document to guide future development proposals, planning applications and regeneration in the locality for the following 20 years. The document came in to force in 2021 and envisages the district as a bohemian base for an independent community of digital and creative businesses, which will be complemented by a growing residential community.[28][29]

Location

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List of notable landmarks

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Transport

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The neighbourhood sits between Liverpool Central and Brunswick railway stations on Merseyrail's Northern Line.

Until its closure in 1917, the area was served by Liverpool St James railway station. With the resurgence of the Baltic Triangle in the early 2010s, interest grew in reopening the station.[30] Liverpool City Region Combined Authority announced in August 2019 that they were planning to use part of a £172 million funding package for reopening the station, subject to the plans being approved.[31] The new station will be known as 'Liverpool Baltic Station', with an estimated opening date in 2028.[32]

References

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  1. ^ "The Baltic Triangle: Strategic Regeneration Framework Supplementary Planning Document, August 2020" (PDF). www.liverpool.gov.uk. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  2. ^ "Baltic Market ranked one of the best venues in the UK". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  3. ^ "The 40 coolest neighbourhoods in the world". TimeOut. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  4. ^ "Britain's 15 coolest neighbourhoods – and how to see them like a local". The Telegraph. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  5. ^ "Masterplan for The Baltic Triangle endorsed, including the addition of a new train station". The Guide Liverpool. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  6. ^ "Liverpool's 32 best beer gardens to try on a sunny day". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  7. ^ McLoughlin, Jamie (24 November 2017). "How did the Baltic Triangle get its name and where exactly is it?". liverpoolecho. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  8. ^ "The Baltic Triangle, Liverpool". Historic England. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  9. ^ "The fascinating history behind the church on the edge of the Baltic Quarter". The Guide Liverpool. 28 October 2022. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  10. ^ "The Baltic Triangle, Liverpool". Historic England. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  11. ^ "In 2008, the Baltic Triangle barely had street lights. Now it's Liverpool's most cutting-edge creative quarter". City Monitor. 21 June 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  12. ^ Carter, Helen (5 March 2004). "Liverpool seeks first legal red light zone". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  13. ^ "Liverpool can forget red light zones". Liverpool Echo. 28 December 2005. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  14. ^ "'Zero-tolerance' policy on sex trade criticised". The Independent. 29 December 2005. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  15. ^ "How the Baltic Triangle got its cool - and how it can survive as developers move in". Liverpool Echo. 19 August 2018. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  16. ^ Tomlin, Julie (23 May 2016). "More sides to the Triangle". Big Issue North. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  17. ^ "Baltic Profiles: Jayne Casey". baltictriangle.co.uk. 26 April 2019. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  18. ^ "Story: From Red Light to Bright Light". baltic-creative.com. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  19. ^ "The Coolest Place in Britain". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  20. ^ "Cains Brewery Village". Cains Brewery Village. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  21. ^ "Elevator Studios sold as CERT property takes on Liverpool's largest creative hub". Business Live. 27 August 2020. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  22. ^ "Relive some of Camp and Furnace's best moments as it celebrates 10 years". The Guide Liverpool. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  23. ^ "Board Members". Liverpool City Region Music Board. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  24. ^ "BOXPARK creating 150+ jobs in move to Liverpool's Cains Brewery Village". The Business Desk. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  25. ^ "BOXPARK Liverpool: The Baltic Triangle" (PDF). Open Media. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  26. ^ "Boost for Baltic in bid for new train station and park". Liverpool Express. 23 October 2020. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  27. ^ Houghton, Alistair (23 March 2018). "Baltic Triangle could be 'extended' onto Dock Road in new council plan". liverpoolecho. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
  28. ^ "The Baltic Triangle Strategic Regeneration Framework, Supplementary Planning Document (August 2020)" (PDF). Liverpool City Council. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  29. ^ "Baltic Triangle's £190m transformation in line for award". LBN Daily. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  30. ^ Houghton, Alistair (29 November 2012). "Campaign launched to reopen Liverpool St James's Station". Liverpool Daily Post. Retrieved 29 November 2012.
  31. ^ Tyrrell, Nick (30 August 2019). "Merseyside set to get two new train stations and replacement ferries". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  32. ^ "Transport bosses issue warning over opening of new Baltic station". www.liverpoolecho.co.uk. 20 January 2024.
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