Liverpool City Council has begun consultation on an updated Local Plan that will guide and influence development until 2041. The council has also issued a further call for sites that could be used for development.
The plan sets out the council’s aspirations for growth, which includes delivering around 30,000 new homes while adopting a ‘brownfield first’ approach, with views being sought on 138 sites allocated for housing, employment and mixed use.
The Local Plan also sets a framework for the protection and enhancement of the city’s green infrastructure, including strategic and locally important parks and open spaces as well as heritage and non-designated heritage assets, including listed buildings, conservation areas, registered historic parks and gardens, scheduled monuments and archaeological remains.
The council’s vision for the Local Plan is to create high-quality neighbourhoods to diversify the housing offering and meet the housing needs of our communities. It will also support its residents live healthy lives, protected from a changing climate and deliver developments that prioritise environmental sustainability.
Accessibility and connectivity have been greatly enhanced across the city in the Local Plan, with a strong focus on active travel and sustainable modes, thus reducing the impact of cars.
Regeneration plays a key part in the plan, with a focus on building high-quality, sustainable and inclusive new homes in the northern fringes of the city centre to create vibrant and mixed communities.
The council has committed to ensuring that peripheral housing estates will have a balance of housing types and tenures to meet the needs of all residents.
Councillor Nick Small, cabinet member for growth and economy, said: “During the public engagement last year, people told us about the need for accessible, affordable and diverse housing with more choice and with greater attention needed for community-building in new housing developments.”
“Many people told us that this needed to be accompanied by improved public transport, active travel infrastructure, and climate-resilient design.”
“They called for economic diversification, support for local businesses, revitalisation of retail areas ensuring these are supported by better public spaces, and the integration of heritage and sustainability into future developments.”
“A key theme was the need to regenerate the most deprived areas, to reduce social and economic inequalities, redistribute prosperity and opportunity and to provide better physical and mental health benefits for every citizen.”
“This draft Local Plan will also help to deliver the inclusive, sustainable growth we need and provides a key opportunity to provide a strong and robust planning framework to deliver our ambitions for Liverpool’s sustainable growth and regeneration.”
“This is our opportunity to work together to create a fairer, healthier and more sustainable Liverpool, where investment and development drives inclusive growth that benefits everyone and all communities, where we protect our natural assets and create opportunities for future generations to achieve their full potential and enjoy everything that our city has to offer.”
The feedback phase will help shape the next version of the plan, the Publication Plan, and consultation will be held on this in summer 2026. If approved by the council, it will be submitted to the government for independent examination.
