The regeneration of Liverpool's Festival Gardens site is set to move forward again with the appointment of a new development partner. Liverpool City Council has selected a joint venture company, spearheaded by Urban Splash and igloo Regeneration, following a procurement process initiated last autumn.
These two firms have formed a partnership to work on an innovative and sustainable housing scheme on the riverside location. The Festival Gardens' development zone, part of a larger 90-acre site, spans 27 acres and is situated three miles south of Liverpool city centre.
Festival Gardens was previously a landfill site that underwent transformation, landscaping, and planting to become the venue for the Liverpool International Garden Festival in 1984. Currently, the site is divided into three distinct zones.
These include the development zone – a 27-acre area incorporating the former 'Pleasure Island' dome, plaza and waterfront bund, the gardens – a 25-acre green space surrounding a large landscaped mound with a substantial surface car park remaining from Festival Gardens, and the Southern Grasslands – a 37-acre portion of the former Festival Gardens land that was landscaped and opened as a park two years ago.
Remediation and infrastructure installation commenced in early 2021, with construction company VINCI completing the work by summer 2023. The process and ground infrastructure works amounted to a cost of £53m, funded by the council, Homes England, and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, reports .
This remediated land was utilised to create the new Southern Grasslands green space.
ION Property Development, the previous development partner, no longer holds exclusivity for the site, having reached a mutually agreeable settlement with the council. Last year, the council initiated a procurement process for new developers to take over the project, as ION had previously been working on the site's transformation.
The brownfield development scheme, one of the largest in northern England, is supported by Homes England and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. Urban Splash and igloo Regeneration are now collaborating with the council to transform the site.
Urban Splash, established in Liverpool in 1993, has a history of developing homes and workspaces across the Liverpool City Region and beyond. Its portfolio includes the transformation of the Ropewalks in the 1990s, as well as the creation of commercial estates like the Matchworks on the border of Speke and Garston.
igloo, a national developer, has spearheaded many waterside schemes across the º£½ÇÊÓƵ, including Ouseburn Valley in Newcastle, Trent Basin in Nottingham, and Dundashill in Glasgow.
At Festival Gardens, the local authority stated that development will focus on phased, residential-led proposals and multigenerational living featuring a variety of housing types and tenures. The council also confirmed it will incorporate more than 20% affordable housing.
The authority aims to establish a vibrant, sustainable, healthy and inclusive neighbourhood with a distinct identity and community spirit, constructed using cutting-edge design and building methods to address local housing requirements.
A Liverpool City Council meeting in September will seek approval for the authority to enter into contract with the new joint venture company. Should it receive backing, the council will collaborate with Urban Splash and igloo to complete legal agreements and establish a definitive timeline for future planning and development phases.
Councillor Nick Small said: "We are thrilled to announce Urban Splash and igloo Regeneration as our development partners for Festival Gardens - one of Liverpool's most iconic regeneration sites. This visionary joint venture is a bold step towards delivering an amazing housing scheme befitting this stunning location.
"These developers have a fabulous track record in delivering outstanding innovative and sustainable projects of the highest order. I can't wait for our residents to see the details over the coming months."
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, added: "Festival Gardens has the potential to be one of the most exciting and transformational brownfield developments in the country – and today's announcement is a big step towards realising that vision.
"This is about more than just bricks and mortar, it's about building the kind of place that people are proud to call home. We're putting the foundations in place to create a thriving new neighbourhood that reflects the kind of future we want to build – inclusive, innovative, and with our residents in mind."
Jonathan Falkingham MBE, co-founder of Urban Splash, said: "Festival Gardens is truly one of Liverpool's best sites, and it's a huge privilege to have been selected as Liverpool's development partner on the creation of this new riverside neighbourhood.
"Partnering with igloo, a brand that shares our values, our goal is to develop an exemplary, green place, that is accessible and sustainable for everyone, creating a lasting, vibrant community.
"We are grateful to Liverpool City Council for this opportunity and look forward to working closely with local residents to shape a community that the city can be proud of. We can't wait to get started."
Peter Connolly, chief executive at igloo Regeneration, said: "This appointment marks not only a huge milestone for us as an innovative joint venture partnership, but also for Liverpool City Region.
"Festival Gardens is one of the city's most highly anticipated regeneration sites, and we aim to deliver a truly community-driven riverside neighbourhood that future residents and the wider community will be proud of.
"We have thoroughly enjoyed working with Urban Splash to create a unique approach for this project and believe our shared values that centre around people, place and planet will inspire inclusivity, wellbeing, and a vibrant way of life for the community."
