Hundreds of millions of pounds are to be pumped into building new homes and fixing roads across Liverpool City Region.
Almost £250m will be spent to build up to 1,000 new homes and revitalise the public highway network through the region’s six boroughs after the combined authority signed off on two major funding projects.
A cash injection of more than £230m is being utilised through the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) to improve key locations throughout the boroughs.
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As a result, roads will be resurfaced, drainage works undertaken to prevent flooding and new streetlights installed.
Additional electric vehicle charging points will also be installed as part of the scheme while further upgrades include bus shelter improvement, enhanced walking and cycleways as well as new pedestrian crossings.
The funding is part of an indicative allocation of £710m to Liverpool City Region to fund transformational transport projects through the CRSTS in November 2021.
Described as a “major programme” by Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram, Cllr Liam Robinson, portfolio holder for transport and air quality, heralded the “pretty significant” scheme and said the non-maintenance elements of the project had the opportunity to be “transformational.”
Combined authority (CA) members also signed off on the receipt of £15m in funding from the UK Government’s Brownfield Land Fund to enable the construction of 1,000 additional homes to be built on developed sites across the region.
Around 4,500 homes will be built across the CA region with £60m available to develop on brownfield sites following the support from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
A total of 21 brownfield sites have already been identified to locate the initial 3,500 properties.
Much of the land identified across the combined authority region is formerly industrial and derelict, meaning a clean up is required before it can be developed.
Currently there are 428 brownfield sites across the six local authority areas in the City Region, with room for 28,000 houses.
Cllr Graham Morgan, leader of Knowsley Council and portfolio holder for housing and spatial Framework, said further efforts would be made to lobby the government to continue to build on the city region’s record of delivery.
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