Nearly 3,000 new homes to be built on 14 ‘brownfield’ sites in Liverpool City Region as part of a £36 million plan

22nd November 2021
  • The fund will support eight private sector and six local authority home-building schemes on former industrial and previously developed sites
  • Combined Authority already supporting projects to build 886 homes
  • Space for almost 42,000 homes on brownfield land in Liverpool City Region

Fourteen ‘brownfield’ sites have been identified for nearly 3,000 new homes in the Liverpool City Region as part of the Metro Mayor’s plan to tackle housing shortage.

Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram pictured at the Moss Nook brownfield site, prior to works commencing.

At its meeting on Friday 26 November, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority will be asked to approve the use of the remaining £36 million from its £45 million Brownfield Land Fund to support the building schemes.

Since the £45m funding was announced in July 2020, the Combined Authority has already invested £11m in seven projects across the Liverpool City Region, which will deliver 886 homes.

The latest round of funding is split between eight private sector-led projects, identified following an over-subscribed open call during the summer, expected to deliver around 1,400 homes, and six local authority-led projects, expected to deliver a further 1,200 homes.

In planning terms, any land that has been previously developed is classed as brownfield.  In the Liverpool City Region, much of this land is derelict and formerly industrial so must be cleaned up before it can be redeveloped.

The Combined Authority investment will be used for site remediation and other measures required to make sites ready for development.

Speaking about the plans, Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:

“For too many people across our region, the chance to own a home of their own remains out of reach. To tackle the housing crisis and help more people realise their home ownership ambitions, we need to take serious action to get more homes built across our region.

“When I was elected, I promised to prioritise brownfield sites for house building and have been working hard to make that a reality.

“Last year we spent £11m to help deliver almost 900 homes on brownfield sites. We are now looking at another £36m that should take the total to almost 4,000 new homes for people across our region.”

In total, 700 brownfield sites have been identified across the six local authorities of the Liverpool City Region. The updated brownfield register identifies 1,813 acres of brownfield sites which could provide space for more than 42,000 homes, if remediated.

Councillor Graham Morgan, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Portfolio Holder for Housing and Spatial Framework, said:

“We have ambitious plans to ensure that we tackle the housing shortage and deliver a great choice of high-quality homes, right across the city region.  Building on brownfield sites will be vital to that process – after all there are around 800 of them with enough space to build 42,000 homes.  The developments put forward in this proposal to the Combined Authority are a really good mix of schemes offering a wide range of different housing types.  We need to ensure that, across our city region, we are building homes to suit everybody.”

Details of previously approved and recommended projects below:

Previously approved projects

Site LA Homes Total Spend

(£m)

Moss Nook St Helens 258 £2.00
Buckley Hill Sefton 63 £1.05
Denford Road Liverpool 105 £0.28
Halton Court Halton 120 £1.79
Paddington Village Liverpool 224 £3.65
Foundry Lane Halton 86 £0.40
House of Fraser Wirral 84 £2.10
Totals 940 £11.33

Private sector/housing association schemes identified through open call

 

LA Scheme name Sponsor Homes Proposed Total Spend

(£m)

Sefton Johnsons Building Sovini 123 £1.55
Sefton 503 Hawthorn Road, Bootle Housing 21 / Onward 91 £1.35
Liverpool Grove Street Regenda Homes 161 £2.41
Halton Palacefields, Runcorn Riverside Group 118 £1.77
Wirral Scott’s Quay Peel 482 £5.20
St Helens Moss Nook Phase 3 Harworth 230 £3.42
St Helens Thatto Heath, St Helens Vistry Partnerships Limited 167 £2.00
Knowsley Sewell Street Livv Housing 52 £0.78
Totals 1,424 £18.48

Local authority projects

LA Scheme name Homes Proposed Total Spend

(£m)

Halton Foundry Lane 274 £5.35
Knowsley Prescot Shopping Centre 150 £2.25
Sefton Benthams Way, Southport 150 £2.25
Sefton Bootle High School 63 £0.95
St Helens St Helens Town Centre Transformation 227 £3.40
Wirral Land Registry Building, Rosebrae Court 335 £5.21
 Totals 1,199 £19.41

For more news from Liverpool City Region Combined Authority click HERE.

22nd November 2021