Liverpool Regeneration Deal Signs First England Agreement 2026

Key Points

• Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, Homes England, and National Housing Bank have made the first Place Delivery Agreement (PDA) in England.
• The agreement was signed on 1 October 2026 and released by Homes England on 2 October 2026.
• It means that the three authorities move from their collaboration partnership to a co-delivery approach.
• The Joint Delivery Unit would comprise staff members and knowledge from the Combined Authority, Homes England, and National Housing Bank.
• The deal includes Liverpool North Docks Mayoral Development Corporation and Central Station Gateway as key priorities.
• Liverpool North Docks might help create around 17,000 homes; Central Station Gateway might create around 4,300 homes on 86 acres.
• The agreement helps achieve mayoral ambitions to create around 16,000 social and affordable homes within Liverpool City Region in 2026-2036.
• Liverpool City Region has an indicative spending of £700 million in accordance with the Social and Affordable Homes Programme.
• The PDA is valid for three years initially but can be terminated at any time with at least 90 days’ prior notice.
• Homes England stated its intention to make similar agreements with every Established Mayoral Strategic Authority and Mayoral Strategic Authority in England over the coming weeks.

Liverpool (Liverpool standard) October 21, 2026 – Regeneration deal has made Liverpool City Region the first mayoral authority in England to sign a Place Delivery Agreement with Homes England and the National Housing Bank, creating a new framework intended to accelerate housing delivery, regeneration and economic growth across the region.

What Has Been Agreed in Liverpool?

Liverpool City Region, October 21, 2026 — Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA), Homes England and the National Housing Bank (NHB) have signed a Place Delivery Agreement, according to a Homes England announcement published on 2 October 2026. The agreement is described by the agency as the first PDA signed anywhere in England.

As reported by Homes England, the PDA creates a partnership to “accelerate the delivery of homes, regeneration and economic growth across the city region”. It is intended to direct national investment, capacity and expertise towards Liverpool City Region’s housing and regeneration ambitions.

The published agreement states that it is dated 1 October 2026 and strengthens the relationship between LCRCA, Homes England and the National Housing Bank through an “enhanced single delivery framework”.

Place North West reported that the PDA is the first of its kind in England and will add “additional heft” to regeneration plans around Liverpool’s North Docks, following the establishment of a mayoral development corporation for the area.

How Does the New Model Work?

The agreement changes the working relationship between Homes England, the National Housing Bank and mayoral authorities from collaboration to co-delivery. According to Homes England, this involves dedicated Joint Delivery Units, shared commitments and strengthened accountability arrangements to mayors.

A Joint Delivery Unit will be created to bring together Homes England, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and the National Housing Bank. The unit is intended to provide a single route for delivery, develop investable project pipelines and help accelerate housing, regeneration and growth projects.

The published agreement says the Joint Delivery Unit will include dedicated Homes England and National Housing Bank staff with specialist expertise across planning, regeneration, infrastructure, affordable housing, economics, development finance, legal services and market engagement.

Governance arrangements include direct reporting to the Mayor, quarterly senior sponsor meetings and oversight involving the Mayor, the chairs of Homes England and the National Housing Bank, and the chief executives of both organisations.

Which Projects Are Prioritised?

The agreement identifies two major strategic priorities: the proposed Liverpool North Docks Mayoral Development Corporation and Central Station Gateway.

According to Homes England, the Liverpool North Docks Mayoral Development Corporation is intended to help unlock around 17,000 homes and support the long-term transformation of Liverpool’s northern waterfront. The agreement says the area also has potential for significant commercial development.

Central Station Gateway is described as a housing-led regeneration and city-centre growth programme covering 86 acres. Homes England says it could support around 4,300 homes, alongside commercial growth, public realm improvements and improved connectivity between Liverpool city centre, Lime Street Station and the Knowledge Quarter.

The agreement also commits the partners to maintaining and enhancing the existing Liverpool City Region housing and regeneration pipeline across all six local authority areas: Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral.

What Does It Mean for Affordable Housing?

The agreement supports the mayoral ambition to deliver around 16,000 social and affordable homes and council homes across Liverpool City Region between 2026 and 2036.

Liverpool City Region has an indicative spend amount of £700 million through the Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP). The agreement says the partners will work to maximise the impact of that funding and accelerate the delivery of social, affordable and council homes.

Under the arrangement, decisions on Social and Affordable Homes Programme Continuous Market Engagement will be delegated to the regional SAHP team within agreed thresholds, with the Joint Delivery Unit providing the governance forum for approval. The agreement says this is intended to enable investment decisions to be locally led.

The Mayor and LCRCA will also receive full visibility of affordable housing pipeline data and will be involved in pipeline reviews, Continuous Market Engagement assessments and decisions affecting further procurement rounds or extensions to Strategic Partnership allocations.

What Investment Could Follow?

The National Housing Bank is described in the agreement as a Homes England company and government-backed public finance institution. It says it will invest up to £16 billion over the next decade through debt, equity and guarantee products, with an aim of attracting more than £50 billion of private capital.

The agreement says the National Housing Bank will seek opportunities to support the region’s local investment fund and use its lending, equity or guarantee capacity to attract wider investment. It also commits the partners to developing a portfolio of investment opportunities capable of unlocking greater private and institutional capital over time.

The PDA builds on the earlier Strategic Place Partnership, agreed in October 2024. According to the published agreement, that partnership helped unlock more than £220 million of investment, 2,043 affordable homes and capacity to deliver more than 3,400 homes. It also secured a £380 million Strategic Partnership allocation to deliver more than 3,100 social and affordable homes.

What Have Leaders Said?

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: “I’m delighted that Liverpool City Region is the first place in the country to sign a Place Delivery Agreement with Homes England and the National Housing Bank.”

He added: “This gives us a real opportunity to get more council and social homes built, get stalled schemes moving and make sure investment is focused where it can make the biggest difference.”

Mr Rotheram said the agreement would allow the city region to work with Homes England and the National Housing Bank “as one team” on projects including the North Docks and Central Station Gateway. He described it as an example of devolution giving places more control.

Pat Ritchie CBE, Chair of Homes England, said: “Successful places are built by empowering local leaders to drive change in their communities.”

She said the agreement marked “an important step” in deepening the partnership with Liverpool City Region and enabling more effective delivery of homes, regeneration and economic growth.

How Long Will the Agreement Last?

The PDA will initially run for three years, subject to annual review. The agreement says it may continue for further agreed periods, while any party may terminate it by giving at least 90 days’ prior written notice.

A detailed Delivery Plan is to be prepared following approval of the PDA. It will set out milestones, funding requirements, resource commitments, risks, performance measures and reporting arrangements.

Homes England says it aims to agree a Place Delivery Agreement with every Established Mayoral Strategic Authority and Mayoral Strategic Authority over the coming weeks.

Background of the Development

The Place Delivery Agreement follows the Liverpool City Region Strategic Place Partnership, which was agreed in October 2024. That earlier framework focused on collaboration between the Combined Authority and Homes England around shared housing and regeneration priorities.

The new agreement is presented by the partners as the next stage of that relationship. It is intended to align local priorities with national investment, expertise and delivery capability, while giving the Mayor and Combined Authority a stronger role in shaping housing and regeneration investment.

Liverpool City Region has a population of just over 1.6 million people and comprises Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral. Its Growth Plan sets a 10-year ambition to add more than £10 billion of Gross Value Added to the economy and create tens of thousands of jobs.

Prediction: How Could This Affect Residents and Investors?

For residents, the agreement could lead to more social, affordable and council homes being brought forward, particularly if the £700 million Social and Affordable Homes Programme allocation and the 16,000-home ambition are delivered as planned.

For people living near the North Docks and Central Station Gateway, the agreement may increase the pace of planning, land assembly, infrastructure work and regeneration activity. However, the published documents set out ambitions and delivery arrangements rather than guaranteeing completion dates for individual schemes.

For developers, housing associations and investors, the Joint Delivery Unit could provide a clearer point of contact and a more coordinated route to Homes England and National Housing Bank support. The agreement specifically aims to develop investable projects and attract private and institutional capital.

For local businesses and workers, the agreement links housing delivery to skills, industrialised construction and employment programmes. It says the partners will work with local authorities, colleges, universities, industry and government to address skills shortages and develop the future workforce needed for the city region’s growth plans.