• 310 sites identified in City Region for 64,000 new homes 

• City Region awarded £700m for new social and affordable housing 

• £2bn needed to bridge viability gap and unlock complex sites 

• LCR Developer Network meets for first time to accelerate delivery 

• Mayor tells industry leaders: “…having a decent home isn’t a privilege – it should be a human right.” 

Mayor Steve Rotheram yesterday told an audience of public and private sector leaders to work together to speed up plans to build 64,000 new homes at 310 sites across the Liverpool City Region. 

The Combined Authority last month approved a major housebuilding programme with a pipeline of projects waiting for investment. This followed the announcement of £700m for new social and affordable housing – the biggest single investment into new homes in the City Region. 

To tackle financial viability issues holding back delivery of the full pipeline of priority sites, a new LCR Housing Developer Network has been set up. Opening the inaugural event at Liverpool’s Titanic Hotel, the Mayor called for greater collaboration for the sake of the many families who are ‘left waiting or living in uncertainty’. 

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

“I’ve always believed that having a decent home isn’t a privilege – actually, I think it should be a human right. It’s the foundation of everything that we do in life. And yet, across our city region too many families are being priced out, left waiting or living in uncertainty, while good sites sit stalled and unused.”

“This is an important moment for us. It brings together developers, investors, local authorities, contractors, registered providers, and other key stakeholders in the sector, all with a shared ambition to accelerate the delivery of homes across our region. The goal today is very simple: to strengthen how we work together, build confidence in the market, and ensure that good-quality homes are delivered where they are needed most.”

Jointly with Homes England, the Combined Authority (CA) is already investing £1.3m to bring forward a major programme of 310 priority sites across Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral, identified through a Strategic Place Partnership (SPP) with Homes England. 

At the CA’s January 23 meeting, cabinet members approved the project pipeline and endorsed the creation of a Housing Investment Fund, aimed at unlocking stalled projects and accelerating their delivery. 

Analysis of the programme shows an estimated £1bn is needed to support 139 projects while the full pipeline of 310 sites could require support totalling £2bn.  

Under the SPP, the LCR Developer Network has been created to build connections between regional and national housing developers and investors, and work alongside established land and property networks. 

To accelerate the housebuilding and regeneration programme, the Combined Authority has also backed plans for a Mayoral Development Area, covering the North Docks area of Liverpool, and a Mayoral Development Corporation to manage regeneration. 

Claire Griffiths, CEO of Cobalt Housing and Chair of the Liverpool City Region Housing Association Group, said: 

“We’ve spent the last six months working much more closely with our colleagues in the Combined Authority, with Homes England and with local authorities, The appetite, the clear need and the capacity is absolutely there – it feels different this time and we are absolutely geared up to deliver.” 

Mark Connor, Chief Executive, Vermont Property group, said: 

“I think this is a much-needed shot in the arm where we can begin to look at schemes holistically between the public and private sector to see how we can make those schemes viable. We now need that proper engagement.”