More details have been released this week about the new eco-friendly housing scheme planned by Liverpool City Council for the city’s Festival Gardens. It comes ahead of an application to the council’s cabinet next week to enter into a development agreement with Urban Splash and igloo Regeneration.

The two companies were chosen following a procurement process that launched last Autumn. Together they have established a joint-venture company to develop what is one of England’s biggest brownfield plots, previously a landfill site, and to deliver 34 different styles of build.

If cabinet approval is given, it’s expected that a planning application for the first phase of the development, which will comprise 440 homes, will be submitted late next year. If approved, building would begin in Spring 2027, with the following two phases set to provide up to 800 homes in total.

Something ‘truly special’

Councillor Liam Robinson, leader of Liverpool City Council, says: “We have always wanted to deliver an amazing housing scheme befitting this stunning location. And I think the plans outlined in this report show that the ambition to do something truly special at Festival Gardens can and will be delivered.

“The team of developers we’re looking to work with has a fabulous track record in delivering outstanding, innovative and sustainable projects of the highest order. I can’t wait for our residents to see more details over the coming months and for them to have their input before the planning application is submitted next year.”

Steve Rotheram, mayor of the Liverpool City Region, believes the scheme has the potential “to be one of the most exciting and transformational brownfield developments in the country”. 

He says: “This is about more than just bricks and mortar, it’s about building the kind of place that people are proud to call home. We’re laying the foundations for a thriving new neighbourhood that reflects the kind of future we want to build – inclusive, innovative, and with our residents at its heart.”