Liverpool moves to unlock vacant land for community housing
A new policy aimed at empowering community groups to deliver affordable homes across the city is due to be adopted next week.
Liverpool City Council plans to dispose of vacant land and buildings to local community groups so that these groups can develop community-led housing projects that meet the needs of local people.
A key focus of the new policy is to “stimulate new affordable housing in areas blighted by empty/derelict properties and to empower community organisations to deliver the design and build of more local homes,” according to the city council.
The first seven sites have been identified. They are:
- Three plots of vacant grassed land around Mill Street totalling 2.3 acres
- The former Rathbone School site on Albany Road
- A pair of plots at Netherfield Road and Anderson Street totalling 2.4 acres
- Just shy of an acre at Lodge Lane
- 26 properties in Picton
- Two clutches of properties in Granby totalling 12 houses.
The process of identifying suitable partners is expected to take around 18 months.
“I’m hugely excited at the prospect that the people of Liverpool are going to be given the opportunity to start shaping the housing offer in their own neighbourhoods,” said Cllr Sarah Doyle, Liverpool City Council’s cabinet member for development and housing.
“This proposed Community Led Housing Policy gives them and the city council a framework to follow, and crucially the land and the properties to develop.”
Working with Breaking Ground, the city region’s community housing advisory body, a guidance document has been created in order to provide tips for CLH groups to use to support their expression of interest and business plans.
The development of a CLH programme is cited as a priority in the city council’s Interim Housing Statement. The initiative is aimed at increasing supply, improving choice and quality, supporting an ageing population, regenerating neighbourhoods, improving the quality of renting and tackling homelessness.
The policy is due to be discussed when Liverpool City Council’s cabinet meets next Friday.
“If [the policy is] approved it will begin to unlock a number of vacant sites that have for too long blighted our communities and will eventually provide our residents new options in renting and owning their home,” Doyle added.
“This is grassroots regeneration in action, housing shaped by the people, for the people.”
Contemporary architecture and urban design please. Repeated disasters in affordable housing design and planning since the 60’s: Everton, Stanley, Baltic, etc etc ….
By LEighteen
Funny that these patches of grassed areas or empty plots were recently called “community open-spaces” and used as an excuse by locals and councillors not to develop. Nevertheless this can be a positive exercise if done with flair and imagination, the problem is that usually the locals don`t always know best, and they want suburban housing with front and back gardens and these look featureless and is a waste of land. There are some lovely designs now for modern, terraced ,town-houses with back gardens, and that should be the way to go.
By Anonymous