Merseyside Development Corporation
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox organization
|name = Merseyside Development Corporation
|image = Merseyside Development Corporation logo.jpg
|image_border =
|size =
|caption =
|map =
|msize =
|mcaption =
|motto =
|formation = 1981
|dissolved = 1998
|type = Development Corporation
|headquarters = Liverpool
|location =
|membership =
|language = English
|leader_title =
|leader_name =
|key_people = Basil Bean
|num_staff =
|budget =
|website =
}}
The Merseyside Development Corporation was a central government-appointed Development Corporation set up in 1981 by Margaret Thatcher's government to regenerate the Mersey docks of Liverpool, Bootle, Wallasey and Birkenhead.
History
The corporation was established as part of an initiative by the future Deputy Prime Minister, Michael Heseltine, in 1981 during the First Thatcher ministry.{{cite web|url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/Lords%E2%80%8F/1981-03-24/debates/71208f8e-e4b1-4164-b929-b2b8c123d276/MerseysideDevelopmentCorporation(AreaAndConstitution)Order1980|title=The Merseyside Development Corporation (Area and Constitution) Order 1986|publisher=Hansard|access-date=16 January 2025}} 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.{{cite book|first1=Michael|last1= Parkinson |first2= James|last2= Duffy|title=Government's Response to Inner-City Riots: The Minister for Merseyside and the Task Force|publisher=Parliamentary Affairs|year=1984|volume=37 |pages=76–96}}{{cite book|title=Michael Heseltine: A Biography|first= Michael|last= Crick|year=1997|page=238|publisher=Hamish Hamilton|isbn=978-0241136911}}
Actitivies undertaken by the Corporation include the Liverpool International Garden Festival in 1984,A riot of colour for Toxteth at Liverpool flower festival. The Times. May 7, 1983 and the redevelopment of the Albert Dock complex,{{cite web|url=https://albertdock.com/history/|title=History|publisher=Albert Dock| access-date=16 February 2025}} which included the opening of Tate LiverpoolDockland 'Tate of the North' . The Times. June 17, 1983. and the Merseyside Maritime Museum.{{cite web|url=https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/14ccdafb-95fb-45c1-a2cf-e0977e38416d|title=Merseyside Development Corporation|publisher=National Archives|access-date=16 February 2025}} During its lifetime {{convert|7600000|sqft}} 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 {{convert|944|acre|km2}} of derelict land was reclaimed and {{convert|60|mi|km}} of new road and footpaths put in place.National Audit Office report dated 27 February 2002.
The chairman was Donald Forster, who had previously been Chairman of Warrington and Runcorn Development Corporation,{{cite web|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1987/jan/14/merseyside-development-corporation|title=Merseyside Development Corporation|date=14 January 1987|publisher=Hansard|access-date=16 January 2025}} and the first Chief Executive was Basil Bean, who had previously been general manager of the Northampton Development Corporation.Bringing dead dockland to life. The Times. January 27, 1981 The corporation was wound up in 1998.{{Cite web|url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1998/953/article/2/made|title=The Urban Development Corporations in England (Dissolution) Order 1998|website=www.legislation.gov.uk|language=en|access-date=28 August 2018}}