Festival Gardens moves forward with new partners

Liverpool City Council selects a joint venture to deliver a large brownfield housing project at Festival Gardens.

Liverpool selects Urban Splash and igloo Regeneration for Festival Gardens redevelopment

Liverpool City Council has chosen a development partnership to drive the Festival Gardens project, a major brownfield housing scheme on the riverfront in south Liverpool. The joint venture is led by Urban Splash and igloo Regeneration, and the partners will work with the council to move the 27 acre development zone forward within a wider 90 acre site. Remediation of the land was completed in 2023 after a £53 million investment funded by the council, Homes England and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. The project includes phased, residential-led plans with multigenerational living and more than 20% affordable housing.

The council’s procurement process followed the expiry of exclusivity with the previous developer ION Property Development. In September the council will seek permission to enter into a contract with the new joint venture and finalise the timeline for planning and delivery. Urban Splash, founded in Liverpool in 1993, brings a track record of transforming the Ropewalks and creating new waterside spaces, while igloo Regeneration has led other major schemes across the UK. The council emphasises an innovative, design-led approach to create a sustainable neighbourhood that reflects local housing need and community pride.

The choice of a two-firm joint venture signals a deliberate shift toward publicly backed regeneration that couples design credibility with delivery capacity. By tying the scheme to a substantial public funding package and a defined affordable housing target, the project aims to balance market demand with social need. The emphasis on multigenerational living and sustainable design aligns with broader trends in northern cities seeking to redevelop brownfield sites without encroaching on green space. Still, the path forward will test how quickly planning, procurement, and on-site work can align with community expectations and budget realities.

Looking ahead, the project could become a benchmark for Riverside regeneration if the partners sustain community engagement and deliver on promised affordability and quality. The September approval will be a critical moment to translate ambition into a concrete timetable and detailed design that locals can rally around.

Highlights

The plan now moves from announcement to action, testing how well design, community needs and funding align in a real neighbourhood.