Anger as sale of Planet bar lightship signals point of no return
HOPES of returning the Mersey Bar lightship to its home in Liverpool were sunk today when it was announced it had been sold.
The Canal and River Trust, who seized the historic vessel last September in a row over unpaid mooring fees, have sold it to a buyer who, it says, intends to restore it and then sell it.
Campaigners have described the move as "an absolute disaster for Liverpool", saying it will never return to the Mersey, despite its importance to the city’s rich maritime history.
There were just not enough city leaders willing to make a big noise about it
Heritage campaigner Jonathan Brown had had harsh words for city leaders for allowing a piece of Liverpool’s history to slip from their grasp.
“I have to accept that we have lost the lightship, which is sad for anybody interested in our history,” he said.
“Sadly despite a campaign by the Merseyside Civic Society and others to desperately try to keep the lightship here, there were just not enough city leaders willing to make a big noise about it.”
Brown also condemned the Canal and River Trust for removing the lightship from the waterfront over an unpaid mooring bill of just a few thousand pounds.
“The lightship has been sold to recover mooring fees of around £10,000 and the cost of seizing and towing it away to Gloucester, which added thousands of pounds to the bill,” he said.
“I also feel swizzed by the Canal and River Trust who gave me the impression it would return to Liverpool in some way. In any other port city there would have been a huge outcry over something like this happening.
“The reality is there were no bidders from Liverpool willing to buy it when it was up for sale. It is a very sad end for the old lightship which guarded the gateway into the port of Liverpool for thousands of mariners over many years.”
The Planet’s former owner, Alan Roberts, claims he has since paid off the £10,000 debt.
Peter Elson, Merseyside Civic Society spokesman, said: "The loss of the world famous Mersey Bar lightship Planet is an absolute disaster for Liverpool and its World Heritage Site which was awarded by UNESCO for its mercantile seaport status.
"The lightship Planet is the most important historic Liverpool and Merseyside ship afloat and Canal & River Trust has failed to honour its earlier indication, made at a senior management level to the MCS, that the vessel would be returned here.”
He added: "The Canal & River Trust is a rich, powerful, government-aided organisation which owns Canning and Albert Dock waters, in Liverpool, and has taken possession of Planet in lieu of an outstanding debt.
"So in spite of C&RT now owning all the elements in this sorry saga, it has created this lamentable situation of Liverpool losing Planet by removing the lightship hundreds of miles away from its Canning Dock berth to Gloucester. Therefore should C&RT have been responsible for returning Planet to its homeport?
"Liverpool has few historic ships, given its incredible status as the former second city and first seaport of the British Empire. The late Capt Robin Woodall, former commander of Cunard Line flagship QE2, called Planet 'The lantern on Liverpool's front door, recognised by seafarers the world over'.
"Now it seems the Mersey has lost this light forever due to the ill-conceived actions of C&RT and all those involved. Way before C&RT existed Planet was included by Merseyside Development Corp in its plans for the Albert Dock complex regeneration and now all those good intentions have been destroyed."
According to Merseyside Civic Society “The new owner has no plans to return Planet to Liverpool or Merseyside and the lightship currently remains 'in store' at C&RT's Sharpness Dock, Gloucester.”
