Liverpool City Region has become the first area in England to sign a new agreement designed to bring national housing investment and expertise closer to local priorities.
The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, Homes England and the National Housing Bank have signed a Place Delivery Agreement (PDA), creating a new partnership aimed at speeding up housebuilding, regeneration and economic growth across the region.
The agreement is part of a new approach by Homes England to work with mayoral authorities, moving from collaboration towards a model of joint delivery.
Under the agreement, national investment, expertise and resources will be aligned with Liverpool City Region’s plans to build new homes, unlock major regeneration projects and support long-term economic growth.
A dedicated Joint Delivery Unit will bring together staff from Homes England, the Combined Authority and the National Housing Bank. The unit will be responsible for turning shared priorities into delivery and strengthening accountability between the organisations.
The PDA is designed to give mayors and local leaders greater influence over housing and regeneration investment decisions. Homes England says the agreements will become its principal way of working with mayoral authorities as devolution develops across England.
The Liverpool City Region agreement focuses on three main priorities.
- The first is transformative growth, including the delivery of the Liverpool North Docks Mayoral Development Corporation and Central Station Gateway. Both are intended to support large-scale regeneration and transform key areas of the city region.
- The second is maintaining and expanding the region’s housing pipeline, with a focus on increasing the supply of social, affordable and council homes.
- The third is tackling barriers to development. This will include work on skills and capacity, industrialised construction and place-based investment, with the aim of creating the conditions needed to accelerate housing delivery.
Homes England and the National Housing Bank will work alongside the Combined Authority to align their investment and expertise with these local priorities.
The agreement comes as the government continues to expand devolution and give mayoral authorities a greater role in determining local economic and housing priorities.
Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram, said: ‘I’m delighted that Liverpool City Region is the first place in the country to sign a Place Delivery Agreement with Homes England and the National Housing Bank.
‘This gives us a real opportunity to get more council and social homes built, get stalled schemes moving and make sure investment is focused where it can make the biggest difference.
‘We’ve got huge ambitions for housing and regeneration across our city region, from the North Docks and Central Station Gateway to projects right across our boroughs. This agreement means we can work with Homes England and the National Housing Bank as one team to get on and deliver them.
‘For me, this is what devolution should be about – giving places more control and then getting on with the job.’
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