Liverpool debates a £130m housing plan to deliver 2000 new homes

The Housing Delivery Plan (HDP) would offer the land for development at no cost to the developer, with a target of helping the delivery of 2,000 new homes in Liverpool over the next three years.

The council has said that under the proposed HDP, it would release council-owned brownfield land that could be used to develop new homes. The plans would see £130m invested in housing for Liverpool during the three year period.

The scheme would allow the council to work alongside private developers to boost housing, a theme that is becoming more prevalent in the today's housing market. The HDP focuses on brownfield sites and aims to bring empty property back into use.

The council has said that although it will be offering the land to developers at no cost, it would recoup most of its investment from the increased council tax and investment from the Government's "New Homes Bonus". The HDP aims to create a £20m housing fund at the end of the scheme.

Liverpool City Council has 18,000 people on its housing waiting list and hopes to use the HDP and other measures to "drastically" reduce it.

“By releasing sites at no cost, providing a subsidy and working with private developers and registered providers, we will see 2,000 new homes built in this city in the next three years on top of the hundreds which are currently being built," said councillor Ann O’Byrne, cabinet member.

To reduce the lack of housing, the Council is discussing a £3m mortgage scheme to help first time buyers and is planning to tackle the problem of empty homes by enlisting a dedicated team to deal with the issue.