Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram has unveiled an ambitious £2 billion housing plan to deliver more than 64,000 new homes across the city region, marking one of the largest regeneration and housebuilding programmes ever proposed for the area.
Work carried out with local authorities and housing associations has identified over 300 development sites capable of delivering 64,044 new homes, including almost 31,000 in Liverpool alone. The proposals are set out in the new LCR Housing Pipeline, which aims to accelerate housing delivery while supporting regeneration in key neighbourhoods.
The pipeline follows the recent announcement of £700 million for new social and affordable housing – the biggest single investment in housebuilding in the City Region’s history. This latest plan provides a long‑term framework to bring forward stalled or challenging sites and increase confidence across the housing market.
Later this month, the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority will be asked to approve the work completed so far on the pipeline and endorse a funding‑led approach that prioritises development projects within it. Approval would allow detailed preparatory work to begin, including site remediation, infrastructure planning and co‑ordination with wider Combined Authority investments in transport, economic development and regeneration.
The programme is being delivered jointly with Homes England through a Strategic Place Partnership. Already, £1.3 million is being invested to bring forward a major programme of 310 priority sites across Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral.
At a meeting on 23 January, members will be asked to formally approve the pipeline, endorse the creation of a Housing Investment Fund, and support work to establish a Mayoral Development Corporation to help unlock delivery at scale. Officials estimate around £1 billion of public support is required to accelerate 139 priority projects, while delivering the full pipeline of 310 sites could require investment of up to £2 billion.
The Combined Authority says development across many urban sites has stalled due to viability challenges, including rising construction costs, higher borrowing rates and more stringent building regulations. In many cases, projects would currently cost more to build than their completed value, making public intervention critical to unlock progress.
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of Liverpool City Region, commented:
“A decent home isn’t a privilege – it’s the foundation for everything else in life. Right now, too many families across our city region are being priced out or left waiting while good sites sit stalled and unused.
“This plan is about changing that. By using our powers, backing our local councils and working hand-in-hand with housing associations and Homes England, we can unlock difficult sites, get spades in the ground and build the homes our communities actually need.
“With the biggest investment in social and affordable housing our region has ever seen, we’re proving that when decisions are taken locally, we can move faster, attract investment and deliver real change – not just for today, but for the next generation too.”
The next phase of work will focus on engaging with the housing market to accelerate delivery and gain a clearer understanding of current construction activity, particularly within existing SPP Priority Areas. As part of this, the Combined Authority will host a major developer and investor event on 5 February, bringing together contractors, developers, housing associations, local authorities and investors. The event will act as the launch of a new Liverpool City Region Developer Network, designed to build confidence and support delivery of much‑needed homes.
The Combined Authority will also consider proposals for a Mayoral Development Area covering the North Docks area of Liverpool, alongside the creation of an MDC to manage large‑scale regeneration. While the North Docks would be the initial focus, officers are developing a model that could be rolled out across other priority regeneration areas throughout the City Region.
Mayor Steve Rotheram said the housing pipeline represents a major step in tackling housing need, driving regeneration and ensuring growth benefits communities across the Liverpool City Region.
Image credit: iStock
