Liverpool sets up regeneration partnership board
Imagine Liverpool will be chaired by former vice-chairman of HSBC Patrick Nolan and will aim to accelerate development in the city over the next decade.
Liverpool’s newly established regeneration partnership board comprises 12 members in total, including Onward Homes chief executive Bronwen Rapley.
It brings together built environment professionals, health experts, and science and innovation specialists who together will act as ambassadors and advisors for Liverpool, with the aim of attracting investment and “reshaping of the city’s economic landscape”, according to the city council.
“The establishment of Imagine Liverpool is a major milestone in our ongoing regeneration story and a new chapter for the city,” said Cllr Liam Robinson, Leader of Liverpool City Council.
“Liverpool is on the cusp of delivering some truly transformational schemes, especially in the docks and north of the city, and we need to ensure the opportunities arising from the momentum we’re creating is fully maximised.”
The partnership will have a particular focus on driving the delivery of homes on brownfield sites – especially around the waterfront and docks – and enhancing the city’s reputation as a leader in health, life sciences, creative, and digital sectors.
Imagine Liverpool will also oversee the establishment of the emerging Locally Led Urban Development Corporation, which will lead on the delivery of a New Town proposed in North Liverpool, subject to government approval.
Large projects like the redevelopment of the former Littlewoods Building will fall within the scope of the board. Credit: Our Studio
In addition, it will have general oversight of some of Liverpool’s slow-moving pipeline projects including Festival Gardens, Kings Dock, and the Littlewoods TV and Film Studios.
The full line-up of board members is:
- Patrick Nolan, ex-vice chairman HSBC and director Delfina Advisory
- Stewart Wood, The Right Honourable Lord Wood of Anfield
- Louise Shepherd, North West regional director for NHS England and former chief executive of Alder Hey children’s hospital
- Mitchell Silver, former commissioner of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation
- Emma Frost, director at Fern Consulting Services and chair of UK Innovation Districts Group
- Ana Nishnianidze, director of trade and investment for the City of London Corporation
- Bronwen Rapley, chief executive of Onward and chair of Homes for the North
- Deirdra Armsby, former director of place shaping and town planning at City of Westminster
- Nic Byrne, entrepreneur and founder of Urban Calm
- Andy Hunt, senior director of Quod
- Jimmy Mulville, co-founder of Hat Trick Productions
- Dr Susie Mitchell, programme director for Glasgow City of Science and Innovation
Patrick Nolan, chair of Imagine Liverpool board, said: “I’m delighted and honoured to be asked to join and chair Imagine Liverpool. The global brand of Liverpool is truly incredible, and there is so much opportunity here.
“I’ve been hugely impressed by the vision, drive and commitment of the Mayor Steve Rotheram and Cllr Liam Robinson, as well as the Liverpool City Council team. Their establishment of a highly experienced advisory board to help them deliver the regeneration plan is a clear sign of intent. I’d like to think we can help Liverpool reach its full potential as a place to live and work.
“There has been a huge amount of positive work done in Liverpool over the past 20 years – but there is still so much more to do, particularly north of the city where our initial focus will be. It’s such an exciting time for the city and we’re looking forward to playing our part in helping reshape Liverpool’s future.”
BOOK NOW: Liverpool City Region Development Update 2025
The formation of the group was the brainchild of the Liverpool Strategic Futures Board featuring Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram, former Manchester City Council chief executive Howard Bernstein, and former Leeds City Council Leader Judith Blake.
The board will seek to drive regeneration along Liverpool’s waterfront. Credit: via If We Ran The Zoo
Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram said: “This is a major step forward for Liverpool—one rooted in the vision and hard graft of the Strategic Futures Advisory Panel that I was proud to chair.
“We were clear that the city needed a new kind of regeneration partnership, one that works with local communities and brings in the right expertise to unlock Liverpool’s full potential. The new body does exactly that. With the right team in place, this next decade could see the biggest transformation in a generation delivering new homes, better jobs, and the kind of investment that genuinely improves people’s lives.”
Imagine Liverpool has the backing of deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, who said it would help unlock Liverpool’s potential.
“Liverpool is a world-famous city with a rich history and a bold vision for the future,” she said.
“It’s fantastic to see this new partnership bring together leading experts to help unlock even more of that potential, with new investment, homes and jobs that will create real, lasting change for local people.
“Through our Plan for Change we are building the 1.5m high-quality homes and vital infrastructure that communities like Liverpool are crying out for. Imagine Liverpool is exactly the kind of ambitious, locally-led transformation we want to see, and we’ll work hand in hand with the city to make it happen.”
This looks and sounds great but we need jobs too, both private and public sector, but we are being overlooked in the latest tranche of civil-service jobs being doled out. What role will the Metro Mayor be going to play here, as he needs to be far more visionary in extending his metro rail system instead of the meek isolated building of 2 or 3 stations spread around the region, he needs to be reopening whole urban lines and get rail into East Liverpool and think big.
This panel looks very talented and capable of big ideas, so come on Mr Mayor.
By Anonymous
Scouse Billionaire Tom Morris should be involved. The city desperately needs someone who knows how to create wealth.
By Pete
Yet another board, or committe or scoping body – for crying out loud get something built, by a company that won’t go bust 6 weeks into a build and leave a hideous eyesore. Manchester seem to do it so why can’t we
By Steven Owen
Ooh just imagine 😂
By Anonymous
Sounds like a cosy bunch of ‘friends of the council’. This has group-think written all over it. Where’s the grit in the oyster? Who’s going to provide the really constructive challenge?
By Anonymous
Perhaps reapproach AstraZeneca to expand their Speke facility and build more than just the Baltic Station on Merseyrail, also sort out the shameful lack of office development in the city centre.
By GetItBuilt!
This city loves nothing more than spending huge amounts of money on quangos/talking shops (in this case) or an SRF which is refreshed every couple of years. The Metro Mayor would do better actually setting up an Urban Regen Company, similar to what was Liverpool Vision/Speke Garston Development Company, that actually has some teeth/land/money.
It would be good to see projects like Littlewoods, talked about for more than 20 years, actually happening rather than annual press releases.
By Talking Shop
They’ve got a beautician, a TV man, a director of a much maligned housing association, and someone who thought Ed Miliband would make a good PM. Apologies for not being filled with confidence.
What power do they have?
What objectives are they being assessed against?
By Anon
They want to invest in their planning department and get approving applications and getting council people back in the office and giving us value for money.
Who are paying for these people? They want to start listening to the things what council tax payers / residents want and need rather than a pie in the sky idea.
They are harping on about 1.5m new homes, they won’t get built…..a year in power and how many have actually been built?
By TaxPayer
After the local elections earlier this month, and the way Reform are performing, there may not be a 10 year plan.
The Garden Festival site has already pushed back a further 18 months, so will a start be made during this Government?
How much are these people being paid and what will be the estimated benefit?
Should these monies not be put towards getting the services in the city right first?
By Local Resident
Hey Taxpayer, you know homes take more than a year to come through planning and get built unless we’re talking wooden sheds?
By Another tax payer
The potential in Liverpool is massive, a city built for a million people, amazing architecture, efficient rail system, fabulous bars and restaurants, wonderful parks, great beaches nearby, grand national, 2 premier league football clubs and 3 universities!! What we are crying out for is a government that will invest in our city and bring the high paid jobs we need!! Liverpool has backed the Labour Party to the hilt now show us some reward!
By Liverpolitan
I don’t get the snobbery about some of the board members. On the surface there’s a broad range of skills there, and if they hold LCC and Mayor Rotherham to account on delivery then I’m all for it.
By Anonymous
Liverpool backed the Labour Party to the hilt?! How’d that go then? Less talking more doing..such is the way with all successful cities. Liverpool never learns.
By Anonymous
The best chance Liverpool has is by joining Greater Manchester as a proper combined city region.
By Anonymous
I’m really trying to see the point of this group, however I just can’t. I don’t understand how this group will accelerate regeneration as:
1. Planning Decisions are made by the Council – unless this group brings in a strict timeline rule over decisions to accelerate planning decisions, then the power and timing still sits with LCC.
2. They don’t own the land they’re coming up with ideas for – why aren’t the land owners part of this group? Anyone can up with ideas for places they don’t own – this could be a project for students or schools to imagine what they’d like to do with land, there needs to be involvement and recognition of the landowners.
3. Similar to above, everyone can pull together a wishlist of investment asks – how is this group going to deliver it? How is this group going to attract in the investors?
I’m just getting a bit fed up now of constantly seeing boards, groups, consortiums being created but they all just look like talking shops that then results in a Mayoral DJ set – lets just have some decisions made!
By Jones
Plenty of youth & diversity here then.
By Phil
@anonymous 11.10 perhaps you’re right, Liverpool may need to learn how to get influential politicians on board the way Manchester did with George Osborne. Once you do that things just happen to go your way! Leeds and Manc were chosen as the cities to invest in while Lpool has been sidelined. If Labour don’t direct investment our way then what’s the point in voting them in time after time? Liverpool needs to wake up and smell the coffee!
By Liverpolitan
What an uninspiring group. It looks to me like another diversity tickbox in recruitment.
When is our council ever going to recruit the best people for the job. The urban calm salon owner, what sense does that make in regards to regeneration. A chair who will have all london centric ideas and pals he will get involved no doubt-
A business and enterprise board with no business people, a regeneration board with beauty salon owners, but as long as we tick the DEI boxes eyy.
By Katie Jones-Bunting