Liverpool City Council will present a draft housing strategy to the council cabinet, which sets out plans to deliver 2,000 new homes per year by 2030. At least 20 per cent of these new homes will be classed as ‘affordable’ housing, which means that the homes are typically sold or let at 20 per cent below the current market value.
Building.co.uk reports that although 10,000 new homes were built in Liverpool over the past five years, just 11 per cent of these were classed as affordable housing. Furthermore, currently 20 per cent of properties in Liverpool do not meet the Decent Homes Standards. These requirements have been in place since the early 2000s for all social housing.
The standards require that the property should be in a reasonable state of repair, have reasonably modern facilities such as fitted kitchens not over 20 years old, and fitted bathrooms not over 30 years old. The homes should have some level of soundproofing, effective heating systems, and some form of insulation.
Liam Robinson, leader of Liverpool City Council, said: “Housing is the foundation for building a better quality of life, enabling residents to access the services they need to thrive. Good quality, suitable housing is also a major contributor to the successful economic future of the city and it helps the council better address the needs of its most vulnerable residents.”
He added: “This draft strategy outlines our ambitions for improving the city’s housing offer and addressing the housing emergencies that are emerging within Liverpool and nationwide.”
The measure coincides with a time when Liverpool is undergoing significant regeneration and investment, particularly around the waterfront area along the banks of the River Mersey. Thousands of new homes have already been created in these former dockland areas, alongside new office space and retail, cultural and leisure facilities.
The flagship Peel Waters scheme will see £5bn invested into regeneration over 30 years, with planning permission granted in 2013. A significant amount of work has been undertaken over the past decade, including the area around Princes Dock in particular.
Four other neighbourhoods will be created as part of the final scheme; Central Docks, Northern Docks; Clarence Docks; and King Edwards Triangle. Northern Docks is the site of the ambitious new £750m stadium of Everton Football Club, which is expected to attract significant new economic investment and visitors to the area.
All this promising news demonstrates that Liverpool is a vibrant and forward thinking city, and it is enjoying a resurgence as a leader in the fields of business, science and technology. Its can-do culture, connectivity, unique history and recent investment mean that Liverpool is a great city to live, work, or establish a new business in.