it was "not complementary to the local environment". Fellow Cllr. Ed Pheion questioned the evidence that so many jobs would be created. The Lib Dems claimed their preference for the site was for it to be restored as public gardens. Local residents were not consulted by Wiggins before the proposal was announced; a subsequent poll found 98.9% of locals surveyed were against the planned tower; increased traffic congestion and pollution were of primary concern. Fate In August 1998, Wiggins announced that Ruddle Wilkinson had been chosen to be the tower's architects. However, by January 1999, plans were described as "on hold" but that talks between Wiggins and the city planning authority were ongoing. By May, it was announced Wiggins were developing "a new blueprint" for the site, in response to criticism from both the council and local residents. In November, with the council steadfastly uncompromising, Wiggins confirmed that a 1,000 ft tower had been officially scrapped from any future plans, claiming the actuality was that it had only ever been part of the original plan to "test the water" and to "see what [would] happen". Relations between Wiggins and the City Council broke down completely after a third, tower-less scheme was rejected in 2002. Wiggins subsequently offloaded the site to a new leaseholder in 2004. The site would remain undeveloped until 2021, when large-scale remediation works began in preparation for housing. See also King Edward Tower, a cancelled scheme which would have become Liverpool's tallest building Shanghai Tower, a cancelled scheme which would have become Liverpool's tallest building List of tallest buildings and structures in Liverpool List of visionary tall buildings and structures References External links Otterspool Tower, at SkyScraperNews.com Garden Festival Tower, at Emporis Proposed buildings and structures in Liverpool Unbuilt buildings and structures in the United Kingdom