Liverpool City Council has unveiled initial plans for new sustainable homes at the Festival Gardens brownfield site.
Next week a report is due to be presented to the council’s cabinet, which recommends working with Urban Splash and igloo Regeneration on the new scheme. To say these firms are committed to delivering the new properties would be an understatement – together they have proposed 34 different house styles for the site.
The project is designed as a ‘festival of housing,’ with renewable energy, modern construction techniques, and diverse housing types at its core. Plans include co-housing, social rent, retirement living, mixed-tenure family homes and self-build, ensuring a multi-generational community.
If approved, a planning application for the first phase is expected in late 2026, covering 440 homes, including 80 extra-care and 110 affordable homes – well above the council’s 20% target. Construction could begin in spring 2027, with later phases bringing the total to around 800 homes.
Backed by Homes England and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, the scheme builds on extensive remediation of the 27-acre site, where more than 95% of excavated material was recycled. The project follows the creation of a 37-acre park, the city’s first of the 21st century, on land once used as a landfill and later home to the 1984 International Garden Festival.
A major public consultation will precede the planning application, providing detail on community facilities, open spaces, and infrastructure to support the growing population.
Councillor Liam Robinson, leader of Liverpool City Council, said: ‘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 have 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.’
Echoing a similar tone, Jonathan Falkingham MBE, co-founder of Urban Splash, said it is a ‘huge privilege’ to be chosen as one of the development partners for the scheme.
‘Our aim is to create a place for everyone and embrace the spirit of the original Garden Festival – showcasing outstanding housing design, innovative landscape strategies for healthier living, and building on the arts and cultural programme initiated 40 years ago,’ he added.
‘We’re excited to work alongside our partners Alpha Living, Regenda, Town and Starship, together with six of the UK’s leading housing architects, Liverpool City Council, wider stakeholders and the local community to deliver an exemplar project that the city can be proud of, and we look forward to sharing more details of the project in the near future.’
Photo by Jiamin Huang via UnSplash
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