Liverpool Waterfront voted 'most attractive' place in England

The High Street in Thame and the village of Saltaire take second and third place in Royal Town Planning Institute poll

The River Mersey in front of the Royal Liver Building in Liverpool (AFP/Getty)

Liverpool’s Waterfront is the greatest place in England, beating the likes of the Peak District, Bath and Letchworth Garden City in a vote by more than 11,000 people.

The High Street in Thame, Oxfordshire, and the village of Saltaire, near Bradford, were in second and third place respectively in the poll organised by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).

The institute set out to find out what the public thought was the most “attractive and inspiring” work by town planners, but natural locations were also included.

Janet Askew, the RTPI’s president, said: “Liverpool’s leaders and all those involved should be congratulated for showing what planning can do to make the most out of England’s stunning heritage to create vibrant, beautiful places.

“Coming as I do from Merseyside, I know that the Liverpool Waterfront, a source of immense civic pride, has a special place in the heart of Liverpudlians, as the popularity of the competition has shown.”

The 10 finalists

• Liverpool Waterfront
• Thame High Street, Oxfordshire 
•  Saltaire, Yorkshire 
• Brindleyplace, Birmingham 
• Bath, Somerset 
• Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire 
• Peak District, Derbyshire 
• Kielder Water and Forest Park, Northumberland 
• Bristol 
• King’s Cross regeneration, London

Joe Anderson, the mayor of Liverpool, said the Waterfront, a World Heritage site, was an “iconic location recognised around the world”.

“As a city, we don’t stand still, and over the past 10 years Liverpool has been transformed through a number of regeneration projects, some of which have taken place in and around the waterfront,” he said. “Due to the nature and status of the area, these investments are always dealt with sensitively and the developments only go ahead if they add value to the city and the people who live, work and visit here.”

The public were invited to vote for one of 10 places on a shortlist drawn up by an “eminent panel of judges”, the RTPI said. Other places on the list included Bristol, the Kings Cross regeneration project in London, the Kielder Forest and Brindleyplace in Westside, Birmingham.