FACTORY outlet shopping looks set to return to Warwick Farm at the former Designer Outlets site.
More than seven years after the outlet was forced to close, Liverpool councillors have unanimously agreed to prepare for changes to the Liverpool Local Environmental Plan 2008 (LLEP 2008) to enable the reuse of the site as a retail outlet centre.
Deputy Mayor Ned Mannoun said the centre would “put Liverpool on the map”.
He said: “The decision by the state government to close the Designer Outlets centre was a blow to Liverpool. The reopening of a direct factory outlet will bring more business to Liverpool.”
While the changes would mean the end for the weekend markets, a council report said the loss was “acceptable” due to the economic benefits.
The report says the proposed centre has the potential to create in excess of 400 full-time jobs, but the move is set to reignite the battle between site owners Gazcorp and retail giant Westfield.
Westfield Liverpool representative Neil Ingham told the council meeting that the outlet would have a devastating impact on CBD businesses.
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