Senior councillors in Liverpool asked to approve strategy to see 8,000 new homes built across the city, 20% of which would be classed as ‘affordable’. Tony McDonough reports
A strategy that would see 8,000 new homes built in Liverpool over the next four years is to be discussed by senior councillors.
Liverpool City Council’s cabinet is being asked to approve the proposal that will also see 20% of those new homes classed as ‘affordable’. Of the 10,720 homes built across the city in the past five years, just 11% were affordable.
To be classed as affordable a home must be offered for sale or rent at no more than 80% of the local market rate. More than 15,000 households in Liverpool are currently on the waiting list for affordable housing.
This report makes a number of suggestions for accelerating the pace of homebuilding. These include increasing the number of planning approvals to widen the delivery pipeline.
Partnering with Homes England, the Combined Authority, housing associations, developers and investors is key to the strategy. The authority is also looking at building new homes directly. Key sites include the former location of the International Garden Festival in Aigburth.
Council leader Liam Robinson said: “Delivering the plan will also require intelligent collaboration with our partners, including the Combined Authority, Government and its agencies, developers, investors and housing providers.”
Earlier this month the council said it will launch a drive to tackle the chronic shortfall in affordable housing by carrying out a review of empty homes across the city.
In a bid to reduce high levels of homelessness and the need for temporary accommodation the authority will contact all owners of empty properties to confirm if their property is still empty or occupied.
It agreed in its most recent budget to charge an additional 100% Council Tax for those properties that have been empty for more than 12 months, 200% for those not lived in for more than five years and 300% for those lying empty for a decade or more.
Members of the cabinet will discuss the report at its next meeting on Tuesday, June 4. If approved it will be followed by an eight-week consultation.
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Cabinet member for housing, Cllr Sam East, added: “This draft strategy reflects feedback we’ve already gathered which highlighted overwhelming support for providing more homes for social rent, improving energy efficiency and insulation on homes, and tackling homelessness and rough sleeping.
“We now want to hear views on the specific proposals within this draft strategy so we can improve and sharpen these proposals.”