Foundations, Liverpool City Council’s housing company, is to launch a rent-to-buy scheme so that people can get onto the housing ladder and eventually own a home of their own.

The company, one of the flagship housing polices for Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson, will launch the initiative with a pilot project involving 14 new homes in the city.

Under the scheme, people will be able to rent a home at 80% of the market rent, so they can save the other 20% towards a deposit in order to get a mortgage to buy the property.

They will be given an option to buy the home after 12 months and up to five years at a fair market price based on an independent valuation at the time of purchase.

The scheme will be available to people who live or work in Liverpool and are either first time buyers or people who have had to sell a home because of a relationship breakdown. Other criteria include being in work but unable to buy a home on the open market because the household is unable to save a sufficient deposit due to living costs.

Subject to agreement by Liverpool City Council’s cabinet at its meeting on 21 June, 14 new family homes at Harrington Row, Park Street, Dingle, will be the first to be included in Foundations rent-to-buy programme.

Foundations Chief Executive Mark Kitts said: “We can make a real difference to people’s lives by giving them an opportunity they would not otherwise get to buy a home for themselves and their families.

“It gives people a stake in their communities and helps us in our broader ambitions to improve neighbourhoods and improve the quality of the city’s housing.

“At this stage we are only able to offer 14 homes under the scheme. We understand that demand might be far in excess of that so we will be working hard to offer new homes under the scheme in the coming months and years. Our promise is to be as fair as we can be in making these opportunities available to people who register their interest.” 

Foundations wants to either deliver or commence a number of projects across the city over the next two years. These will deliver a mix of affordable and family housing, including apartments, for both sale and rent, as well as bespoke properties for the homeless, foster carers, large families, the elderly and people with a disability.

The company’s rent-to-buy launch follows news that Liverpool City Council intend to begin building council homes again for the first time in 30 years.

Mayor Anderson said: “The work of Foundations and the new rent-to-buy scheme complements our council house building plans. Buying is not for everyone, for a range of reasons, so it is important that we do what we can to help people in every situation to get the home they deserve.”

The council expects to reveal more details of its council housing plans in the near future but has already identified a site in Yew Tree where new council homes could be built, alongside Foundations own housing.

Foundations is seen as fundamental to addressing the city’s need to develop 30,000 new homes by 2030.

The company recently announced plans for a high quality housing-led regeneration project in Kirkdale which could see the creation of affordable new homes, community facilities, elderly care accommodation, an eco-park and a new boxing academy. 

Frank Hont, Chair of Foundations, said: “Foundations has the potential to transform the lives of thousands of families in our city. We want to rebalance the city’s social housing stock, revolutionise the rent-to-buy sector and drive up council tax receipts for the council.”

For more information about Foundations’ rent-to-buy scheme contact the managing agents for the scheme, Redwing Living, at their website: redwingliving.co.uk/

ENDS

For further information:

• Jon Brown 07811 451 184 brown@thisisinfluential.com
• Stephanie Bocking 07766 243 728 bocking@thisisinfluential.com

NOTES TO EDITORS FOLLOW

About Liverpool Foundations Homes

Liverpool Foundation Homes (Foundations) is Liverpool City Council’s ethical housing company. Foundations is the flagship housing policy for Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson, who wants to use the company to rebalance the city’s social housing stock, revolutionise the Rent to Buy sector and drive up council tax receipts.

It has been tasked with creating bespoke properties for the homeless, foster carers, large families, the elderly and people with a disability and to improve the availability of good quality, affordable homes in the city.

December 2018

A major development, set to deliver the first of thousands of new-build homes for Liverpool, has received the green light from planners.

Liverpool City Council’s new housing company, Foundations, and Birkenhead-based partnership homes developer Lovell will build 105 two, three and four-bedroom family homes in the city’s Yew Tree area after the Council’s planning committee voted unanimously to approve the scheme, subject to the completion of the legal agreement. 

Lovell is set to start work in spring 2019 on the mixed tenure scheme to transform two pieces of land between Denford Road, Ackers Hall Avenue and Dunchurch Road with high-quality new homes for sale and rent.

The homes are the first to be built through Foundations’ c. £1bn programme to deliver 10,000 new and refurbished homes over the next ten years, helping meet the city’s target of creating 30,000 new homes by 2030.

With small terraced properties dominating local housing stock, there is also an urgent need for larger family homes and properties which are suitable for modern lifestyles and flexible enough to be ‘future-proof’ as residents’ needs change.

The Chair of Foundations, Frank Hont, says: “We’re delighted to get consent for this development and look forward to moving on site at the earliest opportunity to commence work. This is just the first of a number of schemes we will be bringing forward in the coming months and years to provide the right kind of homes for our residents and our communities.”

Lovell regional partnerships director Tahreen Shad comments: “It’s fantastic that this scheme has been given the go-ahead, marking an historic moment for housing in Liverpool. As a company which is based locally with a strong record of delivering high-quality new homes for the city, we’re excited to be working on this pioneering development with Foundations and the council. The scheme will make an important contribution to the availability of locally affordable family homes in the city’s Yew Tree area. We look forward to creating modern, well-designed homes which properly meet the needs of the local community, as well as helping boost local areas through job creation and training opportunities.”

The new homes for Yew Tree will take shape on land previously occupied by a city council housing estate and will provide 56 two-bed; 39 three-bed and four four-bed houses, as well as six bungalows.

All will have front and back gardens and off-street parking and will be built to modern standards of insulation and energy-efficiency. Properties have been designed to be easily adapted as residents’ needs alter over their lifetimes. The scheme has been developed following extensive consultations with the local community and has been sensitively designed to respect the amenity of nearby homes.

Local ward councillor John Prince spoke in support of the proposals, particularly mentioning the delivery of high-quality family housing for local people as well as the commitment to contribute to the enhancement of the existing local green space that sits between the two pieces of land where the homes will be built.

Councillor Irene Rainey welcomed the approach to consultation, especially the amendments made to incorporate six bungalows into the scheme following a specific request from members of the local community.

The new homes will benefit from a location in a well-established residential area with excellent transport links and an extensive range of local services and amenities on their doorstep, including Blueberry Park Primary School; GP services; supermarkets and pubs, cafes and restaurants. 

Foundations is the flagship housing policy for Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson, who wants to use the company to rebalance the city’s social housing stock, revolutionise the rent-to-buy sector and drive up council tax receipts.

It has been tasked with creating bespoke properties for the homeless, foster carers, large families, the elderly and people with a disability and to improve the availability of good quality, affordable homes in the city.

Mayor Anderson said: “The approval of its first scheme is a great milestone for Foundations and I look forward to many more developments becoming a reality over the coming years. Giving people hope and a stake in this city’s future is at the heart of Foundations as we look to create not just new homes but new communities as well. We are at the beginning of this journey but it’s one that has been well mapped out and will be delivered.”

Ends

Images: Artist’s impressions showing street scenes from the new housing development planned for the Yew Tree area of Liverpool.

Editor’s notes:

Lovell is a leading provider of partnership housing. The company has expertise in housing-led regeneration including new-build, open market housing, refurbishment and planned maintenance. With offices in England, Scotland and Wales, Lovell provides a comprehensive range of services and can offer a full range of options for our clients. Lovell is part of Morgan Sindall Group plc, a leading UK construction and regeneration group with revenue of c£2.8 billion and which operates through six divisions of Construction & Infrastructure, Fit Out, Property Services, Partnership Housing, Urban Regeneration and Investments.

Media contact: Liz Coyle-Camp / Ragan Beale, Tel 01747 871752 or liz@emc2publicrelations.com

8 May 2019

Liverpool Foundation Homes (Foundations) and Britain’s former super-middleweight boxing champion, Paul Smith, have announced plans for a major regeneration project that aims to kickstart the transformation of part of Kirkdale, north Liverpool.

If approved, the scheme would provide affordable new homes, community facilities, elderly care accommodation, an eco-park and a new boxing academy to be run by Smith and his three brothers, collectively holders of British, European and world titles. 

London-based Lacey Capital Partners is a partner in the project.  The Liverpool studio of architects Falconer Chester Hall are acting as master-planners.

The proposed scheme would be sited in a derelict railway cutting and neighbouring canalside that runs along Melrose Road and Commercial Road through the heart of Kirkdale, which sits two miles north of Liverpool city centre.

The partners’ ambition is to deliver a scheme which will deliver radical improvements for the wider regeneration of the area, notably the residential ‘flower streets’ and Orwell Road area.

“If we get this right then it’ll represent neighbourhood regeneration of the very best kind,” says Mark Kitts, chief executive of Foundations.

“This could be a big scheme which will need a phased approach, the early phases could deliver a step-change in community and commercial infrastructure and improve perceptions of the area.  We want to work with landlords, owner occupiers and other investors to deliver long-term change and physical improvement.  We’ve seen what can be achieved by a housing-led approach in Anfield and Easby  and Kirkdale Canalside builds on these experiences,” added Mr Kitts.

Outline proposals for the project are being put to the local community via two days of public consultation later this month.  Almost 3,000 homes and businesses are being leafleted to encourage them to attend.

Commenting on the proposals, Paul Smith said: “We’re at an early stage but wanted to share our initial thinking with the people of Kirkdale so that they can help shape our ideas.

“The area has been crying out for new community facilities and these will go beyond boxing in to areas such as fitness, diet, nutrition and wider life skills,” he added.

Chris Lacey, the managing director of Lacey Capital Partners said: “The real housing need across the city is for high quality yet affordable living. The aim here is to create a great and healthy place to live where the spacious green environment and very good transport links will serve the community and Liverpool really well. This is an innovative and exciting opportunity serving a genuine need.”  

“This project is an opportunity for Paul Smith to give back to the people of Kirkdale and represents his love and passion for our community,” explained Cllr Joe Hanson (Lab), ward councillor for Kirkdale.

“This period of consultation also brings the opportunity for the residents of Kirkdale to shape what they feel our community needs. I am determined to ensure that this consultation reflects the needs and wishes of the residents of Kirkdale and that they decide the future of their community as we move forward.

“This is an exciting opportunity for my constituents and I would urge everyone living in our community to engage in the consultation process to ensure your voice is heard,” added Cllr Hanson.

Two public consultation events will be held at the Gordon Institute on Stanley Road and residents can pop along to either:

• Friday 17^th May, 10am-2pm and 4pm – 6.30pm
• Saturday 18^th May, 10am-4pm

People unable to attend the consultation can view the proposals here and take part in a survey about the plans. Click here to view the survey. 

Editor’s notes:

About Liverpool Foundation Homes

Liverpool Foundation Homes (Foundations) is Liverpool City Council’s ethical housing company. Foundations is the flagship housing policy for Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson, who wants to use the company to rebalance the city’s social housing stock, revolutionise the Rent to Buy sector and drive up council tax receipts.

It has been tasked with creating bespoke properties for the homeless, foster carers, large families, the elderly and people with a disability and to improve the availability of good quality, affordable homes in the city.

For more information visit: liverpoolfoundationhomes.co.uk

About Lacey Capital Partners

Lacey Capital Partners provides investment and development advice in the UK residential sector and was founded in 2017 by Chris Lacey who has advised on more than £5bn of successful projects to date. 

Further information at laceycapitalpartners.com

About Paul Smith

Paul Smith is a professional boxer from Kirkdale, Liverpool, and the former British super-middleweight champion, a title he won 30^th October 2009 and held until 11^th December 2012, having successfully defended the title previously.

Smith’s career spans 45 fights, including 38 wins, of which 22 were by KO.  He now works with Sky Sports as an expert commentator and summariser as well as retaining various business interests.  He is the eldest of four boxing brothers who between them have won British, European and world titles.