When new chancellor Rachel Reeves said the new Labour government will form a task force to “accelerate stalled housing sites”, she pointed to four projects that she wanted the initiative to start with: Liverpool Central Docks, Worcester Parkway, Northstowe and Langley Sutton Coldfield.
The local authorities and developers behind those four schemes – which have the potential to deliver more than 14,000 homes – tell EG the message is “music to our ears”, but add that greater clarity is needed on the scope and breadth of the task force.
Liverpool City Council leader Liam Robinson says he is enthused to work with a government that wants to build more of all kinds of housing. The council is working with Peel L&P, the owner of the Central Docks scheme.
Liverpool Central Docks is the largest of five planned neighbourhoods in Liverpool Waters, and Peel has said its completion will “enable the delivery of thousands of new homes, alongside commercial, retail, leisure and community developments” in the area over the next decade.
The 27-acre site has planning consent for 2,350 homes over the next 10 years, in line with the Liverpool Waters Central Docks Neighbourhood masterplan. The city also has several other masterplans it is working to procure partners for, with “growth opportunities” based around the Liverpool City Region Freeport, the Baltic Triangle creative quarter, and the waterfront and central business district.
Robinson tells EG: “We are looking forward to working hand-in-hand with the government to crack on and the announcement from the new chancellor that referenced the north docks of Liverpool and how we can unlock those is music to our ears and is hopefully the start of a real step in the right direction.
“There is a lot of we are doing with Homes England on how to unlock that site. It is brownfield, it is derelict former docklands and there is a huge opportunity to create a really significant, sustainable community on the waterfront of the Liverpool skyline.
“It’s all about that detailed, balanced working with national government, Homes England then working with us as the relevant local authority and our combined authority. The site is owned by Peel, but there will be relevant delivery partners that will be part of that mix from the private and social rented sectors. And we think there is a good opportunity now to get that mix, but the key part is no one body can do it alone; it has to be based on a strong and deep partnership-based approach and that is very much what we are committed to.”
Chris Capes, director of development for Liverpool Waters, adds: “It is great to hear that the new chancellor of the exchequer has Central Docks on her radar and is looking to accelerate the delivery of a highly sustainable housing community, delivering thousands of homes as well as creating one of Liverpool’s largest new green spaces. The team at Peel Waters welcome any opportunity to work in partnership with the new government to drive forward the waterfront regeneration of Liverpool’s northern docklands.”
Next stop, Northstowe
The £3bn Northstowe site is 10 miles north of Cambridge, and spans 1,300 acres with the potential to provide up to 10,000 homes. Earlier this year, EG revealed that Homes England has appointed Lambert Smith Hampton to kick off a new search for development partners. Partners are being sought for the second and third phases of the masterplan.
“Though the industry will largely welcome the drive and pace that the new government has brought to the housing arena, some clarity over the role and scope of the proposed task force is also required,” says Mark Wilkinson, head of development consultancy at LSH.
“There is no doubt that a Conservative regime which delivered 15 housing ministers over a 14-year period has left a legacy of unfulfilled promises and inertia that will need significant intervention to overcome. The opportunity is now there for the Labour government to work with planning authorities and agencies such as Homes England to create the conditions necessary to expedite delivery of housing.”
Phase one of the masterplan has already been built, consisting of 1,500 homes delivered by L&Q’s Gallagher Estates. Phase two was granted planning permission in January 2017, and is set to provide 3,500 homes. Half of it is allocated to affordable housing. It will also include a new town centre, secondary school, special educational needs school, two primary schools and a sports hub.
Previously, House by Urban Splash was appointed to deliver 406 homes in phase 2a, before the modular venture collapsed in 2022. Keepmoat Homes had also been appointed to develop 300 homes in phase 2b.
The town centre aspect includes some 540,000 sq ft of commercial space, including a first parcel known as Central One. A partner is being sought for Central One, which includes a market hall.
The third and final phase of the masterplan, approved in 2022, will provide 5,000 homes. It has been divided into two parcels, with phase 3a providing 4,000 homes across 520 acres, plus two primary schools and a local centre. Phase 3b will include 1,000 homes and a primary school.
On the way to Worcester Parkway
The Worcester Parkway site is a 10,000-home masterplan that will be delivered over 30 years. The masterplan is currently in public consultation with a group of developers including Bellway Homes, Hallam Land Management, the strategic land arm of Henry Boot, St Modwen Homes, Summix and Wain Estates pitching their plans.
The proposals include a town centre, new primary and secondary schools, healthcare facilities and new highways infrastructure as well as cycleways and footpaths. The first stage of public consultation for the scheme was launched in October 2023. The plans have yet to be submitted.
Tim Roberts, chief executive of Henry Boot, says: “We welcome the chancellor’s proposals to set up a dedicated task force to accelerate the delivery of important masterplans across the country, creating urgently needed housing, and are pleased that the strategic significance of Worcester Park has been recognised as part of the new government’s appraisal of the housebuilding landscape.
“Individual masterplans cannot be reviewed in isolation, however, and what’s really needed is a wholesale examination of planning reform, construction costs and town regeneration to finally remove the multiple barriers to delivery that the industry has been battling for far too long. We are encouraged by the intent and look forward to seeing this translated into clear steps to incentivise development across a mix of housing tenures.”
A lift to Langley Sutton Coldfield
The Langley Sutton Coldfield masterplan spans 5,500 homes and has been in discussion since 2017, when the site was identified within the Birmingham Development Plan as the Langley Sustainable Urban Extension under Policy GA5.
The site is owned by a consortium comprising Homes England, Taylor Wimpey, Vistry Homes, William Davis and Bellway Homes. A resolution to grant outline planning was granted in December 2022.
Once approval is finalised, the consortium said that each housebuilder will undertake public engagement on their housing plans and submit reserved matters applications for consideration and approval, prior to construction of housing and infrastructure. The development is expected to take more than 10 years to build.
In a joint statement to EG, the consortium says: “The Langley Sutton Coldfield development would deliver 5,500 new homes, over a third of which would be affordable. We acknowledge the chancellor’s statement and are in discussions with Birmingham City Council regarding potential opportunities for the scheme.”
Jason Honeyman, chief executive of Bellway, adds: “We welcome the announcement from the chancellor earlier this week on Labour’s plans for rebuilding Britain, which includes reforming the UK’s planning system, creating focused task forces to deliver masterplans and reintroducing mandatory housebuilding targets.
“The ability of housebuilders to deliver new homes ultimately relies on having a planning system in place that is efficient, effective and adequately resourced. In recent years, the challenges with the planning system have acted as a significant barrier to our sector.
“Bellway is committed to continuing to work closely with the new government and local authorities to help as many people as possible realise their homeownership ambitions, through developments such as Worcester Parkway and Langley Sutton Coldfield.”
Rachel Reeves © Mark Thomas/Shutterstock
Liverpool Waters © Peel L&P
Northstowe © shedkm
Worcester Parkway © Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership
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