£700m plan for new homes and waterpark attraction in Liverpool set for greenlight

A multi-million pound project to create a new riverside garden suburb in south Liverpool is set for approval this week.

Liverpool City Council’s cabinet will this Friday (June 16) make a decision on the £700m plan to turn the former International Festival Gardens site into 2,500 homes, 500,000 sq ft of commercial and leisure space, a waterpark attraction and a new ferry terminal.

Once approved, the authority will ‘soft market test’ the proposals to identify a preferred investment partner for the 90-acre site before the end of the year.

The council said it has also been approached by two ‘major operators’ specialising in developing and managing water-based leisure destinations, and will ask both parties to prepare more detailed proposals.

Among the development’s other key aims are a 5km green corridor leading all the way to the city centre, a remodelled coastal path and a new cultural venue to sit alongside the waterpark attraction.

The Festival Park Liverpool Masterplan sets out areas.

Dingle Bank, the scheme’s residential zone, will feature a new primary school, medical hub and community centre. Jericho Wharf will serve as the residential zone’s social heart and comprise hotels, restaurants and bars.

Jericho Shore, meanwhile, will be a beachfront neighbourhood of residential apartments and cafes, restaurants and bars offering al fresco dining, all designed around an Amsterdam-style canal frontage.

Festival Gardens will retain – and according to the council, enhance – the site’s existing garden element. Lastly, Southern Grasslands will serve as a natural habitat for wildlife and various leisure activities.

Since taking control of the former International Festival Gardens site in 2016, the council tasked Liverpool firm K2 Architects with creating the masterplan and held a public consultation to gauge feedback on the transformation.

Joe Anderson, the Mayor of Liverpool, said: “Festival Park Liverpool has the potential to be one of the UK’s great new city suburbs of the 21st century.

“This masterplan sets out the ambition to position the site as a world leader as a place to live and visit and we’re highly encouraged by the interest already being shown by developers.”

He added: “There is much work to be done and I look forward to seeing the results of the the soft market testing and talking to potential partners about making this vision a reality over the coming decade.”

Land surveys and environmental assessments will be undertaken alongside the first phase of site mediation this autumn, subject to planning approval.