Liverpool City Council has approved legal agreements to deliver around 800 homes at Festival Gardens with preferred partners Urban Splash and igloo.
The agreements allow construction to begin in phases on the south Liverpool waterfront site, following a competitive procurement process that selected the two developers.
Up to 441 homes are expected in the first phase. The scheme will include market and affordable housing, with tenures ranging from shared ownership and rent to sale, co-housing, and later living.
The site had long been earmarked for redevelopment but faced significant environmental and contamination challenges. Remediation and enabling works were completed in January 2024, funded by Homes England, the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, and the council.
The agreement will help fulfil commitments made under the grant funding arrangements and unlock housing on a site that has remained undeveloped despite significant public investment.
The partners will now begin the next stage of design work, consultation, business planning, and planning consent before homes are delivered in phases.
The development partners have committed to sustainability targets, biodiversity net gain measures, and low-carbon construction. Over the past year they have started biodiversity audits and a long-term strategy with Natural England, Mersey Forest, and United Utilities.
The neighbourhood draws on the legacy of the 1984 International Garden Festival and will be set in landscaped green space connected to the river.
Councillor Nick Small, cabinet member for economy and growth at Liverpool City Council, said: “Festival Gardens is one of Liverpool’s most iconic regeneration opportunities, and this decision represents another major step towards bringing the site back into use.
“The agreement allows us to move forward with plans that will deliver hundreds of much-needed new homes, attract investment and create a thriving new neighbourhood on our waterfront.
“The site has undergone extensive remediation work over recent years, and we can now focus on turning our vision for Festival Gardens into reality.”
Duncan Inglis, regional director for the North West at Homes England, said: “As the government’s housing and regeneration agency, we aim to support public and private sector partners to unlock strategic housing sites, where brownfield, infrastructure or land projects face delivery challenges. In South Liverpool, the Festival Gardens site is a prime example of this.
“This new regeneration has been part-funded by our Local Authority Accelerated Construction scheme, which showcases how we continue to work closely with mayoral authorities and local councils to meet the needs of their communities.”
Joe Broadley, development director at igloo, said: “This latest milestone signifies an important moment for the new neighbourhood at Festival Gardens.
“The iconic waterfront site will be a major catalyst for the growth of the city region, unlocking opportunity for collaboration across the various programmes of delivery.
“We’re now looking forward to working closely with the community, Urban Splash and our partners to create something truly special over the coming months and years.”
Jonathan Falkingham MBE, co-founder of Urban Splash, said: “This is huge progress for Festival Gardens and Liverpool as a whole. It’s a major new development that will not only create a vibrant, inclusive neighbourhood but also provide local employment opportunities on this long-standing site.
“With Urban Splash and igloo working in partnership, we’re combining decades of experience to turn this large-scale regeneration project into a community Liverpool can be proud of. We’re excited to bring this landmark project to life.”
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