Liverpool prepares to hand over land for Dingle community-led housing
The Florrie Community Land Trust is on the brink of securing a trio of publicly owned plots around the grade two-listed Florence Institute to pave the way for affordable homes.
Liverpool City Council is close to agreeing the transfer three plots off Mill Street in Dingle that are earmarked for redevelopment into 97 homes for social rent.
The land trust, born out of the 130-year old community institute, hopes the project will go some way to addressing the need for good quality affordable homes in a deprived area of the city.
The Florrie CLT is working with architect Brock Carmichael on the scheme’s design and Sovini Housing Group is lined up to operate the scheme.
“This is a monumental moment for The Florrie and for community-led housing across the country”, said Roy Williams, chief executive of the Sovini Group.
“Our involvement in this journey has been incredibly rewarding, witnessing first-hand the dedication and passion throughout the community to shape their own future. The Florrie is directly addressing the pressing need for local affordable housing and economic opportunities.
“This pioneering initiative with Liverpool City Council is empowering a community to take ownership of local housing demand and is a flagship example of what can be achieved when local authorities listen to their communities. I believe this model will inspire similar projects nationwide.”
As well as 97 homes, the project would feature managed workspace for 11 SMEs, dedicated green open spaces, and a public courtyard adjoining the Florence Institute.
Cllr Graham Morgan, Liverpool City Region cabinet member for housing and regeneration, said: “In the midst of a housing crisis it is vital that we explore innovative ways to create the affordable social housing we so urgently need.
“This transfer of land to a well-loved community-led organisation to enable them to build nearly 100 homes is exactly the kind of creative approach we need to adopt. That’s why we are supporting the project’s development and I look forward to seeing it become a reality.”
Good news but can we please have homes that are attractive like the renewed Welsh Street terraces, as those awful suburban semis with front and back gardens look completely out of place in the inner-city.
Be good too if one day the dilapidated streets of Granby get restored, such beautiful properties that we shouldn’t lose.
By Anonymous
It would be nice to see some affordable bungalow’s
By Mary Woolley
Delighted for all involved. The Florrie now needs the support of all public agencies to get the ball rolling quickly on housebuilding on the site.
By Anonymous
This is good news, the Dingle needs sorting out and re-densifying. There are far too many vacant/disused plots of rubbish strewn grass which should be decent housing again. The blocked off streets need to be reopened to make this area less cut-off and more accessible. Those streets could also do with some trees.
By GetItBuilt!
‘Affordable bungalows’ is an oxymoron for all the other people subsequently frozen out of the market. Great news for the Dingle that active streets/townhouses are back.
By LEighteen
Great news for this part of Liverpool but what’s happening to derelict land of great George Street Liverpool
By Kevin Rowan
The Florence Institute building shows the calibre and quality of architecture that once existed all over the Dingle and most of Liverpool, we need more, modern, attractive dwellings that people can be proud of instead of the mundane structures that we see in the attached photograph.
By Anonymous
Zooming in on that photo it’s crazy the amount of land taken up by the front and back gardens attached to those houses. Surely those front gardens are oversized and really more thought should be given to the housing design whereby parking provision should be via an undercroft, in this way space can be saved to build more houses on.
By Anonymous