Halewood housing plan wins approval with zero-bill homes, Liverpool 2026

Key Points

• Knowsley Council has approved the construction of 88 affordable homes at Halsnead Farm, situated on Fox’s Bank Lane.
• The development would be undertaken by Starship Build and Onward Homes.
• The homes will be designed to adopt a “zero-bill” standard through energy-efficient design, solar panels, batteries and digital energy metering.
• The project is being developed as part of the Halsnead Garden Village.
• The development will include 51 semi-detached and terraced homes and 37 apartments.
• The homes will range between one to four bedrooms; the exact tenure to be finalised later.
• It is anticipated that many of the properties will be social rent homes.
• All seven homes will be made wheelchair-friendly, while others will have advanced access.
• About five acres out of the total 8.5 acres land will be developed and 3.2 acres land will be made open space.
• The landscaping features will include 90 plus trees, hedgerows and shrubs.
• Knowsley Council has approved the enhancements to the 17.5-acre Grace Park located in Halewood.
• There will be enhanced play areas, artificial sports pitches, cycle paths, sustainable drainage system, civic plaza and clubhouse in Grace Park.
• A car parking facility for 47 spaces is also included in the enhancement of Grace Park.

Liverpool (Liverpool standard) September 29, 2026 — It has received approval from Knowsley Council’s planning committee, allowing plans for a new affordable housing neighbourhood at Halsnead Farm to move forward.

The approved development will be built on an 8.5-acre site off Fox’s Bank Lane, within the wider Halsnead Garden Village project. The scheme is being promoted as a launch project for the Future Homes Liverpool City Region and is expected to use modern methods of construction.

According to Julia Hatmaker of Place North West, the homes will be designed to a “zero-bill” specification through a partnership between Starship Build and Octopus Energy. The proposed approach is intended to reduce household energy costs through energy-efficient construction, solar panels, batteries and digital technology to monitor energy use.

What has Knowsley approved at Halsnead Farm?

The Halsnead Farm scheme will provide 88 homes in a mixture of houses and flats. The development is planned to include 51 semi-detached and terraced houses, alongside 37 flats.

The homes will have between one and four bedrooms. This range is intended to provide different types of accommodation for households with varying needs, although the precise tenure mix has not yet been confirmed.

The proposals are expected to include a substantial number of properties for social rent. The final division between social rented homes, other affordable housing and any additional tenures will be announced at a later stage.

The homes will be designed with accessibility in mind. Seven properties are due to be fully wheelchair accessible, while the remaining homes are expected to meet enhanced accessibility standards.

The scheme will not use the entire site for buildings and associated infrastructure. Around five acres will be reserved for development, while 3.2 acres will be set aside as open space.

Landscape plans prepared by Layer.studio include new planting across the site. More than 90 trees, together with hedgerows and shrubs, are planned as part of the proposals.

How will the zero-bills homes work?

The “zero-bill” model is based on reducing or offsetting household energy costs through a combination of measures built into the homes and their wider energy system.

Place North West reported that the model was launched at the 2024 Labour Party Conference in Liverpool. Under the proposal, residents could live for up to 10 years without paying an energy bill, supported by energy-efficient design, solar panels, batteries and digital energy monitoring technology.

The description of the scheme refers to a “zero-bill” specification rather than a guarantee that every resident will face no energy costs in all circumstances. The eventual performance of the homes will depend on factors including household energy use, the operation of the energy system, maintenance, energy prices and the detailed terms offered to residents.

The partnership between Starship Build and Octopus Energy is central to the proposed model. The development is intended to demonstrate how new construction methods and low-energy technology can be combined with affordable housing delivery.

The homes will be built using modern methods of construction. These methods can include the off-site manufacture or pre-assembly of components before they are brought to the site, although the detailed construction system for this development was not set out in the published report.

Who is delivering the housing scheme?

Starship Build and Onward Homes are the developers behind the Halsnead Farm proposals.

DK Architects is listed as the architect, while Eden is the planning consultant. The wider project team includes Curtins, TEP, Lanpro, Amenity Tree, Steven Hunt, Line Design Technology, Hepworth Acoustics and Fusion 21.

The development can be identified through planning reference 25/00617/FUL on Knowsley Council’s planning portal.

The involvement of Onward Homes means the project is being delivered with a registered provider that is focused on affordable housing. The exact arrangements for ownership, management and allocation of the completed properties were not included in the report published by Place North West.

Further information about the tenure mix and delivery timetable is expected to be provided through the planning and development process.

What improvements are planned for Grace Park?

Knowsley Council’s planning committee also approved a separate programme of improvements at Grace Park in Halewood.

The park covers 17.5 acres and is due to receive a series of changes designed to improve recreation, sports provision, biodiversity and access.

The proposals include:

• Improvements to the existing playground.
• The installation of a sustainable urban drainage system.
• Additional cycle paths.
• A new civic plaza.
• A new clubhouse.
• A 47-bay car park.
• The conversion of existing grass pitches into artificial sports pitches.
• Wider landscape and biodiversity improvements.

The council said the project would create a more accessible and sustainable community facility for Halewood residents.

Cllr Shelley Powell, Knowsley Council’s cabinet member for communities and neighbourhoods, said the investment would transform Grace Park into a “vibrant, accessible and sustainable community hub”. According to the statement reported by Place North West, she said the work would deliver improvements in sports provision, biodiversity, connectivity and the park’s overall amenity.

Cllr Tony Brennan, the council’s cabinet member for regeneration and economic development, also welcomed the approval. As reported by Place North West, he said the plans would transform Grace Park into a high-quality park with the potential to achieve Green Flag status, allowing the wider community to enjoy and benefit from the space.

How is the Grace Park work being funded?

The Grace Park improvements form part of Knowsley Council’s £30 million investment in Halewood.

The funding comes from several sources, including awards from the Levelling Up Fund, the City Region Sustainable Travel Settlement and Section 106 contributions from housebuilders.

Section 106 contributions are payments or commitments secured from developers through the planning process. In this case, the contributions include money from housebuilders such as Redrow, Bellway and Miller Homes.

Those companies are developing sites connected to the 1,500-home East of Halewood masterplan. The wider masterplan is therefore linked to investment in local infrastructure, including public open space, transport connections and community facilities.

The Grace Park project team includes Steve Wells Associates, Survey Operations, Wardell Armstrong, Ascerta and SureScreen Scientifics.

The park proposals can be found through planning reference 26/00037/KMBC1 on Knowsley Council’s planning portal.

What does the approval mean for Halsnead Garden Village?

The Halsnead Farm housing development will form part of the wider Halsnead Garden Village project. The approved homes will add a new residential neighbourhood to an area planned for broader development.

The scheme combines affordable housing with open space and landscape measures. It also places energy performance at the centre of the proposal through the intended zero-bill specification.

The approval does not mean all 88 homes are immediately available to residents. Construction, detailed design, procurement, infrastructure work and the final arrangements for tenure and allocation will still need to be addressed before occupation.

The planning approval also does not provide a confirmed completion date in the information published by Place North West. The delivery schedule may depend on technical approvals, financing, construction arrangements and progress across the wider Halsnead Garden Village project.

For prospective residents, the most significant details still to emerge are the final tenure mix, eligibility criteria, rent levels, sales arrangements and the date when applications will open.

Why are the two projects being considered together?

The housing and park schemes were both approved after Knowsley Council met to debate and vote on the proposals.

Although they are separate projects, they reflect wider development activity in Halewood and the surrounding area. The Halsnead Farm scheme will deliver new homes, while the Grace Park project will improve an existing public green space.

The two developments also address different elements of local growth. The housing project focuses on accommodation, affordability and energy performance. The Grace Park proposals focus on recreation, sports, transport connections, drainage and public amenity.

The combination of new homes and investment in community infrastructure is significant because large residential developments can increase demand for parks, sports facilities and local services. Section 106 funding from development sites is being used to support some of the improvements at Grace Park.

What information has not yet been confirmed?

Several important details remain subject to later announcements.

The exact tenure mix for the 88 homes has not been confirmed. Although the scheme is expected to include ample social rented housing, the available report does not give a final number of social rented, shared ownership or other affordable properties.

The published information also does not provide a construction start date or a confirmed completion date. It does not state when residents will be able to apply for the homes.

The precise terms of the zero-bill arrangement have not been set out in the report. Future residents may need further information about energy monitoring, battery storage, solar generation, maintenance responsibilities and how the arrangement will operate over the proposed 10-year period.

The final design, landscaping timetable and phasing of the Grace Park improvements also remain matters for the delivery stage.

Background to the development

The Halsnead Farm proposal is part of the wider Halsnead Garden Village project and is being presented as a Future Homes Liverpool City Region launch project.

The development will use modern construction methods and introduce a zero-bill housing model linked to Starship Build and Octopus Energy. The model was first presented at the 2024 Labour Party Conference in Liverpool and is based on energy efficiency, solar panels, batteries and digital monitoring.

The Grace Park investment is part of Knowsley Council’s £30 million programme for Halewood. Its funding includes the Levelling Up Fund, the City Region Sustainable Travel Settlement and Section 106 contributions from developers involved in the East of Halewood masterplan.

The original report was written by Julia Hatmaker and published by Place North West. The report covered both the approval of the 88 homes and the Grace Park improvement programme.

Prediction: how could the development affect local residents?

The approved projects are likely to affect Halewood residents in different ways as they move from planning to delivery.

The 88-home scheme could increase the supply of affordable accommodation in the area, particularly if the final tenure mix includes the anticipated social rented properties. However, the direct benefit to residents will depend on allocation policies, eligibility requirements and the eventual number of homes available at social rent.

The zero-bill design could help reduce energy costs for eligible households if the homes perform as intended and the energy arrangements operate under the terms described by the developers. Residents will still need clear information about the limits of the arrangement, including household energy use, maintenance and any charges that are not covered.

Grace Park’s improvements could provide better sports facilities, safer cycle connections, improved drainage and a more accessible public space. The artificial pitches, upgraded playground, civic plaza and clubhouse could increase the park’s use by local families, sports groups and community organisations.

The projects may also create temporary disruption during construction, including construction traffic, noise and restricted access to parts of the site or park. The long-term effect will depend on how the work is phased and how effectively the council and developers communicate with residents.

If delivered as approved, the two schemes could support housing growth while improving community infrastructure in Halewood. The most important next indicators will be the publication of the final housing tenure details, the construction timetable and the confirmed delivery schedule for Grace Park.