麻豆社国产

LONDON 鈥� Civic leaders in Liverpool expressed outrage Wednesday after the English port city was stripped of its World Heritage status by the United Nations鈥� culture organization.

UNESCO鈥檚 World Heritage Committee voted in a secret ballot to remove the designation because of developments in the city centre and on its historic River Mersey waterfront. The committee said the projects, including a planned new stadium for soccer team Everton, were 鈥渄etrimental to the site鈥檚 authenticity and integrity鈥� and had caused 鈥渋rreversible loss of attributes.鈥�

Liverpool Mayor Joanne Anderson called the decision 鈥渋ncomprehensible.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檓 hugely disappointed and concerned by this decision to delete Liverpool鈥檚 World Heritage status, which comes a decade after UNESCO last visited the city to see it with their own eyes,鈥� she said.

Anderson said the city would explore whether it could appeal, 鈥渂ut, whatever happens, Liverpool will always be a World Heritage city. We have a stunning waterfront and incredible built heritage that is the envy of other cities.鈥�

Liverpool was one of the world鈥檚 busiest ports in the 18th and 19th centuries, growing prosperous from trade in goods and 鈥� until the trade in humans outlawed by Britain in 1807 鈥� slaves. The docks declined and became derelict in the 20th century, but have been restored with museums, shops, bars, restaurants and new housing developments, making Liverpool a symbol of urban renewal.

The city that gave birth to The Beatles was added to UNESCO鈥檚 World Heritage list in 2004, joining sites including India鈥檚 Taj Mahal, Egypt鈥檚 pyramids and the Tower of London.

But it was placed on the organization鈥檚 heritage in danger list in 2012 amid concerns that modern development was marring the docklands鈥� historic character.

The World Heritage Committee, made up of representatives from 21 countries, was asked to decide Liverpool鈥檚 fate after an experts鈥� report said 鈥渋nadequate governance processes, mechanisms, and regulations for new developments in and around the World Heritage property鈥� resulted in 鈥渟erious deterioration and irreversible loss of attributes.鈥�

Steve Rotheram, mayor of the wider Liverpool region, said the decision was 鈥渁 retrograde step that does not reflect the reality of what is happening on the ground.鈥�

鈥淢any of the sites cited by UNESCO are in communities sorely in need of investment,鈥� he said. 鈥淧laces like Liverpool should not be faced with the binary choice between maintaining heritage status or regenerating left-behind communities -- and the wealth of jobs and opportunities that come with it.鈥�

Jill Lawless, The Associated Press