Liverpool City Council’s first significant council housing scheme in more than 30 years is set to clear its final hurdle
The landmark council housing scheme, at Denford Road in Dovecot, aims to deliver 105 homes in partnership with Merseyside developer Lovell and local registered provider Riverside.
A report to the council’s cabinet meeting on Friday (5 March) is seeking approval for the council to enter into a contract with Lovell as both developer and funding partner, triggering a start on site later this month.
The Denford Road scheme contains a mix of homes for affordable and social rent and underlines the council’s commitment to providing a range of housing tenure options across current and future schemes.
Liverpool City Council is also working in partnership with Homes England and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority to develop an outline planning application for Stonebridge Cross in Croxteth.
A report at the same cabinet meeting is seeking approval to allow the city council to enter into funding agreements to progress pre-planning survey work in order to produce a masterplan for the site.
It is anticipated that a full business case for Stonebridge Cross will be presented back to the council’s cabinet this autumn, after which work will begin on preparing a planning application.
The city council’s recently formed a Strategic Housing Delivery Team (SHDT) which will oversee the project and lead a comprehensive consultation with stakeholders and the local community.
‘First housebuilding scheme for 30 years’
Councillor Barry Kushner, cabinet member for housing, said: “It will be a landmark moment for Liverpool City Council to green light its first housebuilding scheme for 30 years – and crucially these plans realise our ambition to provide high-quality housing.
“As a council we are signing up to the Healthy Homes Act that guarantees energy efficient and lifetime homes and the properties at Denford Road will meet those standards.
“We will make sure that we create jobs, apprentices and business opportunities for subcontractors for local people, and are meeting with the Unite the Union and the building contractor to plan this.
”A lot of work has been undertaken to scope out the housing needs of Liverpool in recent years, and the potential developments next to Festival Gardens and at Stonebridge Cross underline the council’s ambition to make a positive difference in our housing market.”
