Liverpool refuses to let new towns rejection get it down

Leader Cllr Liam Robinson pledged to deliver thousands of homes as part of a Liverpool North new town, despite the community not making the government taskforce’s shortlist for the programme.

“While we were very disappointed we were not being selected, we are still going to do this,” Robinson told Place North West at the Labour Party conference on Sunday.

Liverpool City Council is working alongside Sefton Council, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, Homes England, and an array of private sector partners (including Onward, Riverside, Plus Dane, One Vision, and Torus) on the 10-year project. The Liverpool North scheme encompasses a five-kilometre stretch of brownfield land between the city centre of Liverpool and Bootle. Among the areas incorporated into the “new town” are Anfield, Kirkdale, Everton, and Greatie Market.

The project would see the delivery of 10,000 homes and improved public transport in the area. The list of Liverpool North projects include the £20m Bootle Strand revamp, a £5m investment in Greater Homer Street market, and the development of the area around Goodison Park.

“We always prepared on two scenarios,” Robinson went on, explaining that one was with Liverpool North earning new town status while the other was not having the government backing.

“We’ve already got that plan B sketched out and we will be saying a bit more about it in the next week or so,” he said. “This is so important for our city and our wider region that we’re going to do it.”

He added later: It’ll obviously have to be in a different model and guise, but let’s be honest we didn’t know the full detail as to what exactly government backing would mean. And you never know, there’s a bit of an incentive now – can we do it a bit faster?”

Robinson also noted that Liverpool North still has a chance to claim new town status, as the current dozen selected need to undergo additional screening. The government could also always decide to grow its list to 13, he added.

There were only three communities in the North that made the New Towns Taskforce’s shortlist: Victoria North in Manchester, Adlington in Cheshire East, and Leeds South Bank.