By A funding injection of almost £10 million will provide 1500 family homes on a stalled site in Liverpool, according to a recent press release from the government.
This funding will come from the £450 million Local Authority Accelerated Construction (LAAC) programme and Homes England will work closely with Liverpool City Council to develop homes at the centrally located Festival Gardens site.
The government’s housing accelerator program will bring together experts in the industry backed by significant funding in order to tackle the housing crisis, according to the recent press release from the government.
The cash injection of £9.9 million will be used to allow essential remediation work to take place on the site, which will pave the way for residential development to begin. Eventually, a number of privately rented apartments will be built in addition to the many owner-occupied houses the site will also include, according to the government.
Homes for hundreds of families
Sir Edward Lister, chairman of Homes England, said: “We are determined to use all the resources available to us to make homes happen across England – so I’m thrilled our funding means work can move forward rapidly at this historic site, providing homes for hundreds of families.”
He added: “And with Homes England and combined authority experts now working side by side, we expect to further accelerate the construction of new houses across the region.”
Supporting the northern powerhouse
Kit Malthouse, minister of state for housing, said: “Delivering the homes Liverpool needs is a crucial element of our plan to build a successful and vibrant Northern Powerhouse.
“I was born and brought up in Liverpool and went to the original garden festival as a child, so I know how much this investment will regenerate a key area of this great city, transforming Festival Gardens site with desperately needed family homes.”
Liverpool council has had ambitions for the site in the past, but these plans have been stopped by lack of funding. With this new cash boost, however, activity is expected to begin this spring, with new homes available by 2022, according to the recent press release from the government.
A much-loved waterfront location
Joe Anderson, mayor of Liverpool, said: “We welcome this essential financial injection from Homes England. Festival Gardens is a much-loved waterfront location and people have very fond memories of spending time there. We are fully aware of the potential the Festival Gardens has and its transformation will be a game-changer for this city’s economy in terms of new homes, construction jobs and growth.
Thanks to this funding, the council can start essential remediation works on the site and move forward with the vision of creating a significant number of new family homes in South Liverpool at an iconic destination.”
He also commented that this will bring a leisure element to the Festival Gardens site, creating a first-class visitor and cultural destination.
Steve Rotheram, metro mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: “I welcome today’s announcements from Homes England which demonstrate a real and ongoing commitment to the Liverpool City Region.”
He added: “I am particularly pleased to welcome the co-location of Homes England staff with the Combined Authority, which is the first arrangement of its kind in the country. Being physically based together in the same building will facilitate even closer joint working and present opportunities for further projects across the whole city region.”
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