Liverpool City Council’s ambitious new Housing Design Guide is set to be considered by Cabinet in June following the completion of a wide-ranging public consultation. Jennie Lewis reports
First launched in October 2025, Liverpool City Council’s Housing Design Guide outlines a bold vision for the future of housing in Liverpool, placing people, health, sustainability and high-quality design at the centre of new residential development across the city.
Residents, developers, housing professionals and community stakeholders were invited to share their views during the consultation period, helping to shape the final version of the document.
The plan will be presented to Cabinet next month and, subject to approval, will become an important part of Liverpool’s planning framework, helping to raise standards and ensure future housing developments are design-focused, sustainable and responsive to local communities.
The Housing Design Guide sets out a series of practical principles aimed at ensuring new homes in Liverpool are:
• adaptable, accessible and energy efficient to meet the city’s future needs
• supportive of residents’ health and wellbeing
• respectful of Liverpool’s character and local identity
• designed to encourage strong, connected neighbourhood
• complemented by high-quality green spaces and landscaping
The proposals form part of a wider programme of housing improvements being developed by the Council.
Earlier this month, councillors were engaged in a consultation aimed at improving existing housing conditions across the city, including measures to bring long-term empty homes back into use.
The proposals also included a potential new approach to selective licensing within the private rented sector, alongside the continuation of the Council’s freehold sales programme for long leaseholders.
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Cabinet Member for Housing, Councillor Hetty Wood, said: “Good-quality housing is fundamental to people’s health, wellbeing and life chances. The Housing Design Guide is about setting clear expectations for the homes we build in Liverpool – homes that are well designed, sustainable and genuinely work for the people who live in them.
“Taking this document to Cabinet is an important milestone, and it demonstrates our commitment to creating better places and better housing for current and future generations.”
Cabinet Member for Growth and Economy, Councillor Nick Small, added: “The Housing Design Guide is about raising the bar for housing across Liverpool and providing clarity and confidence for everyone involved in delivering new homes in the city.
“By setting clear, practical design expectations, the Guide helps ensure that new development supports economic growth while also delivering high-quality places that people are proud to live in. Good design is not a barrier to delivery – it is essential to creating successful, sustainable neighbourhoods.”