Liverpool Waters receives £56m boost from Homes England

A £56m investment by Homes England to speed up the regeneration of a major brownfield site within Liverpool Waters and bring life back to the city’s historic northern docklands, has been given final approval by HM Treasury.

The funding will support the creation of a new public park and vital infrastructure that will accommodate approximately 2,350 new homes and is all part of the government’s plans to build 1.5 million new homes across the UK in the next five years.

The investment by Homes England relates to Central Docks, the largest of five neighbourhoods within the emerging Liverpool Waters district. Owned and master planned by waterside regeneration specialists Peel Waters, Liverpool Waters extends over 2km along the banks of the River Mersey and has outline planning permission across 60 hectares. The Central Docks neighbourhood alone is projected to attract over £550m in private investment.

There are currently around £1billion of new developments under construction across Liverpool Waters, including the new 52,888-seater Everton Stadium, the Mersey Heat district heating network served by an innovative Water Source Heat Pump energy centre, and over 600 new homes currently being built – adding to the nearly 1,200 homes already completed and occupied across the Princes Dock and Central Docks neighbourhoods. The Isle of Man’s new £70m ferry terminal also located within Liverpool Waters completed in June this year.

In July, Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet agreed to enter into an agreement with Homes England to accept Brownfield Infrastructure Land grant funding and act as accountable body on behalf of Peel Waters to deliver site infrastructure and follow-on development.

The Central Docks scheme at Liverpool Waters was also identified by the Liverpool Strategic Futures Panel, chaired by Mayor Steve Rotheram, and forms part of Liverpool’s ambitious 20-year plan for the whole of its iconic waterfront.

Liverpool City Council has also made a similar brownfield site commitment in its draft housing strategy, currently subject to a public consultation, which supports the delivery of 2,000 new homes every year to 2030 and to double the number of affordable homes across the city.

The key infrastructure within the 10.5-hectare scheme, which comprises underground utilities, roads, pavements, public park, green spaces, and public amenities, will lay the groundwork for future investments and the development of a diverse mix of new housing in addition to commercial, community, retail and leisure facilities. 20% of the new homes planned at Central Docks will be affordable.

Central Park at Liverpool Waters August 2022 Courtesy of Peel Waters

With full planning approval for the site preparation work, the comprehensive plans for Central Docks include the creation of an interconnected network of public spaces. The proposed new landscape will be enriched with the planting of hundreds of trees, with the centrepiece being ‘Central Park,’ a sprawling 2.1-hectare oasis, set to become one of the city’s largest urban green spaces.

Central Park’s design will celebrate the site’s industrial heritage and coastal location, blending coastal and woodland plantations, wetlands, and open parkland. Embracing inclusivity and sustainability, the park will feature amenities such as shelters, sports and recreational facilities, play spaces and wildlife habitats, to be enjoyed by both residents and visitors.

The development will also significantly enhance connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists, with the ultimate aim of creating seamless open access between the city centre, Princes Dock, Central Docks and Everton’s new stadium at Bramley Moore Dock.

Chris Capes, Development Director of Liverpool Waters commented:

“The challenges faced when regenerating brownfield sites means collaboration and partnerships like this are vital. This is a great example of central, regional and local government working alongside the private sector to kick start regeneration, attract inward investment, and deliver much needed new homes.

“Investment by Homes England in this infrastructure will help lever in at least ten times the amount from the private sector, leading to the complete transformation of the Central Docks neighbourhood and the creation of an inclusive, distinctive and healthy new community.

“Work will start immediately on final stage designs, surveys and site preparation, with the main works starting next spring.”

Peter Denton, Chief Executive of Homes England, said:

“Following the signing of our Strategic Place Partnership last month, this funding is further evidence of our commitment to the Liverpool City Region.

“Our role is to work with the mayor and local leaders to help them drive forward their visions for housing and regeneration and bring forward complex sites like Central Docks, transforming them into thriving communities that people are proud to call home.”

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:

“Britain is under new management and now we’re really starting to see the difference. Working hand in hand with government at a national, regional and local level we can make an enormous difference and drive growth locally.

“The development of Central Docks, alongside the ongoing work to regenerate Bramley Moore and Bootle, 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 Central Docks site was identified in the Liverpool Strategic Advisory Panel’s final report as a site for potential development. The £56m we’ve received is an enormous statement of intent – on top of the £31m we secured for the city back in March this year.

“I’m delighted that the Treasury has given us the go-ahead for this investment, which promises to be a really significant development for our city region.”