Liverpool City Council is set to receive a £55 million investment boost from Homes England towards the regeneration of the city’s northern dockland.
A report to Council’s Cabinet will today recommend the council enter an agreement with Homes England to accept Brownfield Infrastructure Land (BIL) grant funding.
Liverpool’s historic Central Docks is the largest neighbourhood within Liverpool Waters — a 30-year vision to transform the city’s Northern docks — and the city’s largest brownfield site.
The site is owned by waterside regeneration specialists Peel Waters and is projected to unlock more than £500 million in private investment.
The scheme includes the establishment of a public park and infrastructure to accommodate approximately 2,350 new homes.
In April last year, Peel L&P set about rethinking the Liverpool Waters scheme to reflect newer planning guidance and the ‘way people live, work and socialise’ since its 2013 masterplan.
The funding boost is now subject to final approval from HM Treasury.
Last week, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves announced, in her first speech to the Treasury, a plan to accelerate stalled housing sites, and prioritisation of brownfield and grey belt land for housing development to meet housing targets ‘where needed’.
Former secretary of state for levelling up Michael Gove introduced reforms to planning rules in February, to increase housebuilding by making councils prioritise brownfield developments.
Liverpool City Council made a similar brownfield site commitment in its draft housing strategy to support the delivery of 2,000 new homes every year to 2030, which is currently subject to a public consultation.
The strategy will double the number of affordable homes across the city.
The Central Docks plan has received full planning approval and will include the creation of an interconnected network of public spaces.
The consultant planning team for this development includes:
- Planit Ie – Master Planners, Landscaping and Urban Design, Visualisation
- Arup Planning – Planning Consultant
- Walker Syme – Project Management
- John Sisk – Infrastructure and Design
- Curtins – Civils and Structures
- Hannan’s – MEP
- Hatch – Social Value
- Safer Sphere – CDM
- RSK – Ecology, HRA, Aquatic, Noise, BNG
- Rob Burns – Heritage
- Civic – Transport
- Social – Consultation and Engagement
Steve Rotheram, mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: “Britain is under new management and, in just a few days, we are already starting to see the difference.
“The development of Central Docks has the potential to be a catalyst for growth and wider regeneration for great swathes of South Sefton and North Liverpool, creating jobs and attracting investment.
“The £55 million we’ve received is an enormous statement of intent – on top of the £31 million we secured for the city back in March.”
Chris Capes, director of development for Peel Waters, said: “Central Docks will deliver thousands of new homes, alongside commercial, retail, leisure and community infrastructure and public spaces over the next ten years.
“However, the practicalities of developing brownfield sites are always a challenge for investors and developers, and so innovation and partnerships are essential to drive forward the regeneration we all want to see.”
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