Eco-friendly housing scheme at Liverpool Festival Gardens
Council unveils details of flagship housing scheme at the Gardens site.
17 September 2025
Liverpool City Council has revealed the first details of a flagship housing scheme at the city’s Festival Gardens site, aiming to transform one of the UK’s largest brownfield plots into a sustainable, multi-generational neighbourhood.
A report to the Council’s Cabinet proposes entering into a development agreement with joint venture partners Urban Splash and igloo Regeneration. Together, they plan to deliver up to 800 homes across the 27-acre Development Zone, with a diverse mix of designs tailored to a range of living needs.
The first phase of the project, expected to deliver 440 homes, will include 80 extra care units and 110 affordable homes, surpassing the Council’s 20% affordable housing target. A planning application for this phase is anticipated in late 2026, with construction set to begin in spring 2027, pending approval.
The scheme is backed by Homes England and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. It will offer 34 different house types and a wide range of tenures, including social rent, co-housing, retirement living, mixed tenure family homes, and self-build opportunities. Developers and housing providers involved include Alpha Living (extra care), Regenda Group (affordable housing), Town (co-housing), and Starship (modern methods of construction).
The initiative builds on the legacy of the 1984 International Garden Festival and the recent £53 million remediation of the site, completed in 2023 by VINCI. More than 95% of the materials excavated during remediation were recycled. The work also led to the creation of Liverpool’s first 21st-century park—a new 37-acre green space.
Public consultation will be held ahead of the planning submission, including proposals for community facilities, public open spaces, and supporting infrastructure.
Councillor Liam Robinson, Leader of Liverpool City Council, called the scheme “an amazing housing project befitting this stunning location” and praised the development team’s track record in delivering sustainable and innovative schemes.
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said Festival Gardens represents "one of the most exciting and transformational brownfield developments in the country," with the potential to create a vibrant new neighbourhood.
Jonathan Falkingham, co-founder of Urban Splash, and Peter Connolly, CEO of igloo Regeneration, both emphasised the project's ambition to deliver inclusive, high-quality housing while building on Liverpool's cultural and environmental heritage.
The site is divided into three zones: the 27-acre Development Zone, the 25-acre Gardens area, and the 37-acre Southern Grasslands. The full project team includes DWF, Montagu Evans, Mace, Metropolitan Workshop, and Shedkm.