Plans for a 400-metre zipwire between two of Liverpool’s most famous landmarks have prompted complaints that it could lead to the “Disneyisation” of the city’s cultural quarter. The proposed £4m aerial runway would speed visitors from the second floor of St John’s Beacon, a 138-metre observation tower known locally as the Radio City tower, to the roof of the Central Library. Planners at the city council have recommended the zipwire be granted approval, and councillors are due to make the final decision on 30 June. If given the green light, it will be the first permanent urban zipwire in the UK. Twenty-nine businesses and individuals nearby have objected to the application, with some library users worrying that they would be disturbed by people screaming as they whizz into earshot. Others are worried about the impact on a conservation area and listed buildings, and particularly St John’s memorial gardens, an urban park treasured as “a tranquil space for contemplation” on dates such as Remembrance Sunday and the Hillsborough anniversary. Documents submitted before the planning meeting show that some objectors argued the zipwire – based on on in Dubai that stretches for 1km – would “represent the Disneyisation of one of the city’s most cultural areas, making it appear tacky”. The hopeful operator, Zip World, which owns a number of similar attractions in Wales, has promised the wire will be safe and not leave users dangling in mid-air, as happened to Boris Johnson in London during the 2012 Olympics. Zipwires are often controversial. In 2018 the owners of the Honister slate mine in the Lake District won a seven-year battle to build one. It has yet to open. The Liverpool design features two wires, allowing riders to race each other to the library. Tickets are likely to cost between £30 and £40, according to Andrew Hudson, Zip World’s commercial director. Hudson insisted the design was not tacky. “We feel it will add to the culture that’s already in the city, whether it’s the music tourism or the football tourism, we think it will add tremendous value. That’s not to say we are not being tremendously sensitive to the surrounding buildings and memorials,” he said. He conceded that Zip World could not stop riders screaming in joy and/or terror. But he anticipates that any noise created by the attraction would be drowned out by the ambient sounds of the city. “It’s out of our control to a degree, but we brief people before they go on the attraction,” Hudson said. “Not wanting to gag our riders, it’s fair to say that being 50 metres above the Marriott hotel and having this city-centre ambient noise – plus all the efforts that go into making the mechanical part really quiet – I think we can mitigate that as much as possible. I really think that with those measures in place, even with the odd scream we shouldn’t encroach on anyone’s peace and enjoyment.” If granted approval, the attraction could open in the summer of 2022.