The Local Investment Plan LIP2 (24-page / 3.4MB PDF) sets out how the City Region will create an environment to stimulate the private sector market and accelerate growth, re-balance the economy and deliver housing and neighbourhoods where people choose to live, work and visit. It has been jointly launched by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and the Liverpool City Region.
The Plan aims to bring 16,400 long-term empty properties back into use, as part of its goal to use housing to support the City Region's economic goals. The Plan also includes a commitment to improve the choice and quality of homes and neighbourhoods and to ensure existing stock is efficient. It will guide housing and spatial planning in the City Region until 2015.
“Housing is a key economic indicator and this new initiative will create both jobs and a range of housing for our residents," said Marie Rimmer, leader of St Helens Council. "It will bring home ownership within the reach of many more people and will help to create viable and sustainable communities."
The Plan also aims to prioritise investment in transformational sectors and strategic investment locations, such as Liverpool City Centre and developments along the Atlantic Gateway corridor. It aims to overcome barriers to commercial investment, including planning, access and infrastructure and will work to increase the availability of suitable sites and finance, the Plan said.
The first LIP ran from 2010 to 1011 and helped to secure £80 million of housing and regeneration investment into the City Region, which is planned to deliver around 4,000 homes across the region. LIP2 will build on this work, focusing on developing the partnership further to ensure that the progress made in recent years continues, the Plan said.
"I am pleased that collectively we’ve reached this important milestone for the City Region," said Neil Pickering, head of area for the Liverpool City Regions, Merseyside and Cheshire at the HCA. "Following the success of the first LIP, we will continue to work with local authority partners to help create homes and places for local people."
"Through this plan, we will now be able to give valuable, targeted support to develop much needed new homes that will play a vital role in helping Liverpool meet its economic growth ambitions," he said.
