Combined authority and housing agencies sign first ‘Place Delivery Agreement’

The agreement is intended to “ensure that national investment, capacity and expertise are focused on realising Liverpool City Region’s ambitions to create new homes, unlock major regeneration opportunities and drive long-term growth”.

PDAs are a new mechanism that aims to move the relationship between the parties from collaboration to co-delivery. 

“Through dedicated Joint Delivery Units with colleagues from Homes England and the Strategic Authorities, shared commitments and strengthened accountability arrangements into mayors, they give local leaders and communities a stronger role in shaping the housing, regeneration and growth priorities that matter most in their areas,” the organisations said.

PDAs are to become the principal way Homes England works with mayoral authorities on housing delivery, regeneration and growth. 

The agreement with Liverpool City Region will give increased mayoral influence over housing and regeneration investment decisions and align Homes England and National Housing Bank activity around three key pillars set by the city region. These are:  

• Transformative growth – delivering Liverpool North Docks Mayoral Development Corporation and Central Station Gateway.  
• Housing pipeline – maintain and enhance the city region’s housing pipeline to increase the delivery of social, affordable and council homes.  
• Tackling barriers – working together to create the conditions needed to accelerate housing delivery across social, affordable and council home delivery, skills, capacity and issues in industrialised construction, and enhancing place-based investment.   

Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram, 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. 

“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. 

“We’ve got huge ambitions for housing and regeneration across our city region, from the North Docks and Central Station Gateway to projects right across our boroughs. This agreement means we can work with Homes England and the National Housing Bank as one team to get on and deliver them.”

He added: “For me, this is what devolution should be about - giving places more control and then getting on with the job.”

Chair of Homes England, Pat Ritchie, said: “Successful places are built by empowering local leaders to drive change in their communities. Today's agreement marks an important step in deepening our partnership with the Liverpool City Region, enabling us to work together more effectively to deliver new homes, unlock regeneration opportunities and support economic growth.  

“By strengthening the link between local priorities and national investment, expertise, tools and powers, we can re-wire the system to better support delivery and have a greater impact for the people and places we serve. We look forward to expanding this approach with mayors across England in the months ahead.”