Liverpool City Council has approved plans for the ￡5.5 billion Liverpool Waters scheme, designed by Chapman Taylor.

The controversial project for Peel Holdings will see the regeneration of 60ha of dockland in the city, if the government backs approval for the outline application.

Joe Anderson, council leader, called the decision “one of the most significant” in Liverpool’s recent history.

He said: “In arriving at their decision, the city council’s planning committee considered a very comprehensive report which thoroughly examined all the issues concerned and listened to a number of different presentations from both supporters and objectors and visited the site themselves.

“Everybody – including the committee - is well aware of the concerns about heritage, but we can have the strikingly modern, while retaining our world heritage status. I have never regarded this as being ‘either, or’.

 “With the safeguards the planning committee has insisted on, we can have Liverpool Waters living comfortably alongside the World Heritage Site.”

Last month English Heritage said the plans would cause “serious harm”, and the scheme has also been criticised by Design Council Cabe and Unesco.