Guidance

Liverpool City Region Place Delivery Agreement 2026 to 2027

Published 2 October 2026

Applies to England

Executive summary

This Place Delivery Agreement (PDA) is dated 1 October 2026 and strengthens the relationship between the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA), Homes England and the National Housing Bank (NHB), through an enhanced single delivery framework to accelerate housing delivery, unlock regeneration and underpin the vision of the Liverpool City Region (LCR) Growth Plan to transform productivity across the LCR.

Building on the success of the existing Strategic Place Partnership (SPP), this Agreement represents a step change in the way the 3 organisations work together. It moves beyond collaboration towards co-delivery, bringing together local leadership, national expertise and investment capability behind a shared set of priorities.

At its heart, the Agreement is about empowering the Mayor and local leaders to deliver their housing, regeneration and growth ambitions by bringing decision-making, investment and delivery capability closer to place.

Through this Agreement, the partners commit to:

Delivering Liverpool City Region’s most significant growth and regeneration opportunities

Prioritising delivery of the North Liverpool Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC), helping unlock around 17,000 homes and supporting the long-term regeneration of Liverpool’s northern waterfront.

Accelerating delivery of Central Station Gateway, supporting around 4,300 homes alongside commercial growth, connectivity improvements and regeneration across 86 acres of the city centre.

Maintaining the existing LCR pipeline of housing and regeneration opportunities across all 6 local authority areas with focused activity to accelerate delivery.

Putting housing investment decisions closer to place

Empowering the LCRCA to shape housing investment and delivery priorities across all tenures.

Supporting mayoral influence over affordable housing investment decisions through regionally-delegated Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP) Continuous Market Engagement (CME) arrangements.

Aligning Homes England and National Housing Bank activity with the LCR Growth Plan, Housing Strategy and wider regeneration ambitions.

Accelerating social and affordable housing and council house delivery

Ensuring the delivery of the mayoral ambition for around 16,000 social and affordable homes and council homes across the City Region between 2026 and 2036.

Maximising the impact of Liverpool City Region’s £700 million SAHP indicative spend amount.

Developing a Liverpool City Region council housing delivery plan.

Accelerating council housing delivery.

Supporting local authorities, registered providers and delivery partners to enhance, prioritise and deliver the existing LCR Housing Pipeline.

Unlocking investment at scale

Establishing a connected investment ecosystem for housing and regeneration.

Developing a portfolio of financial transactions capable of attracting significant National Housing Bank investment.

Mobilising significantly greater levels of private and institutional investment into housing and regeneration.

Bringing forward projects that cannot be unlocked through traditional grant funding alone.

Building long-term delivery capacity

Establishing the LCR as a national exemplar for housing delivery, regeneration and place-based growth.

Supporting innovation, skills development and industrialised construction.

Strengthening local capability to bring forward complex housing and regeneration projects.

Aligning housing delivery with wider economic growth, employment and productivity ambitions.

Creating a dedicated Joint Delivery Unit

Establishing a Joint Delivery Unit (JDU) as a single delivery structure bringing together LCRCA, Homes England and National Housing Bank expertise.

Committing dedicated Homes England and National Housing Bank staff, including specialist expertise, across:

• planning
• regeneration
• infrastructure
• affordable housing
• economics
• development finance
• legal services
• market engagement

Providing a single route through which LCRCA can access the full range of Homes England and National Housing Bank delivery tools, expertise, investment capability and powers.

Aligning resources around shared priorities and accelerating the progression of projects from concept to delivery.

Strengthening accountability and governance

Creating significantly enhanced accountability through a shared performance framework and direct reporting arrangements to the Mayor.

Establishing strengthened oversight arrangements involving the Mayor, the chairs of Homes England and the National Housing Bank and the chief executives of both organisations.

Delegating day-to-day Homes England and National Housing Bank responsibility for delivery of the Agreement to the Homes England executive director for the North West.

Nominated co-directors from LCRCA and Homes England will lead the JDU.

Introducing quarterly senior sponsor meetings to oversee delivery, resolve barriers and hold the partnership to account for agreed outcomes.

This Agreement represents an enhanced model of place-based delivery. By combining local leadership, devolved influence, dedicated delivery capability, aligned investment and stronger accountability, the LCRCA, Homes England and the National Housing Bank will work together to deliver more homes, unlock regeneration, attract investment and drive long-term economic growth across the LCR.

Commencement and term

This PDA shall commence on the date hereof and shall continue for an initial period of 3 years (subject to an annual review) and shall thereafter continue for such further period or periods as shall be agreed in writing between the parties, Provided always that any party may give not less than 90 days prior written notice to the others to terminate this PDA at any time.

1. Strategic context: Liverpool City Region’s growth ambitions

Liverpool City Region Growth Plan 2025 to 2035

1.1 The LCR is one of the UK’s major city regions, with a population of just over 1.6 million people.

It comprises the 6 local authority areas of:

• Halton
• Knowsley
• Liverpool
• Sefton
• St Helens
• Wirral

These together form a diverse and highly interconnected economic and housing market area.

1.2 The LCR Growth Plan 2025 to 2035 sets out a bold 10-year vision to transform the City Region’s productivity, deliver inclusive growth and create one of the UK’s most dynamic and innovative regional economies. Through sustained investment and partnership, the Growth Plan aims to add more than £10 billion of Gross Value Added (GVA) to the economy and to create tens of thousands of new jobs.

1.3 Growth will be driven by the City Region’s internationally-recognised strengths in health and life sciences, advanced manufacturing, digital and technology, creative industries and maritime, alongside emerging opportunities in clean energy. These sectors are supported by nationally-significant growth assets including:

• Liverpool City Region Freeport
• Investment Zone
• Sci-Tech Daresbury
• Knowledge Quarter Liverpool
• the proposed Mersey Tidal Power Programme

1.4 Central to the LCR Growth Plan is the principle that all communities should contribute to and benefit from growth, ensuring that economic success translates into improved productivity, opportunities and quality of life across the whole City Region.

Housing and regeneration in the Liverpool City Region

1.5 Delivering the Growth Plan requires an integrated approach to housing, regeneration, infrastructure and economic development. The availability of quality homes and attractive places is fundamental to supporting labour market growth, attracting and retaining talent, enabling investment and ensuring that communities can benefit from new economic opportunities.

1.6 While the City Region benefits from a diverse portfolio of communities and places, a number of areas continue to experience longstanding market, physical and socio-economic challenges. Addressing disparities in housing quality, supporting housing growth across a range of tenures and bringing forward regeneration opportunities will be critical to ensuring that growth is both inclusive and sustainable.

1.7 Market conditions and delivery barriers constrain the pace and scale of change. Viability gaps, fragmented land ownership, infrastructure requirements, abnormal costs and capacity constraints can make complex brownfield and regeneration schemes difficult to deliver through the market alone. Addressing these challenges requires coordinated public sector intervention to unlock sites and create the conditions for long-term market confidence to enable private investment to be crowded in.

Strategic opportunities

1.8 The LCRCA has an ambitious programme of housing-led regeneration and place-based investment opportunities capable of transforming communities, supporting economic growth, improving productivity and accelerating housing delivery. Through its emerging Housing Strategy, Spatial Development Strategy and growth-focused investment programmes, the LCRCA is seeking to establish the City Region as a national exemplar for housing delivery and regeneration, working in partnership with Homes England, the National Housing Bank and other key delivery partners.

1.9 Key opportunities include the North Liverpool regeneration area and proposed Liverpool North Docks Mayoral Development Corporation, Central Station Gateway, Liverpool Waters, Wirral Left Bank and a range of strategic town centre and brownfield regeneration sites across all 6 local authority areas. Collectively these opportunities provide the basis for a long-term pipeline of investment capable of delivering new homes, commercial growth, improved connectivity and enhanced quality of place.

2. Going further, faster and rewiring the state

2.1 The SPP agreed in October 2024 has demonstrated the value of a coordinated approach, establishing a framework through which the Combined Authority and Homes England have aligned investment, delivery expertise and priorities across a number of the Mayor’s key priorities including:

• investment in Central Docks
• an early phase of the proposed MDC
• Borough Yard Urban Village, Wirral
• town centre locations such as Huyton town centre, Knowlesley

Since its establishment, the partnership has helped unlock:

• more than £220 million of investment in support of the Mayor’s housing and regeneration priorities
• 2,043 affordable homes
• capacity to deliver over 3,400 homes

The strength of the partnership was further demonstrated through the securing of a £380 million Strategic Partnership allocation for the Liverpool City Region to deliver more than 3,100 social and affordable homes.

2.2 All partners now recognise we need to go much further, much faster, and show how we are rewiring the state to better serve the LCR. The PDA represents the next evolution of the Strategic Place Partnership, moving beyond collaboration towards co-delivery.

2.3 Together, the partners will establish a new model of place-based delivery capable of accelerating housing delivery, unlocking regeneration opportunities and supporting sustainable economic growth across the City Region. The JDU, operating under the strategic leadership of the Mayor and LCRCA, will provide a single delivery framework through which strategic ambition can be translated into investable propositions, faster decision-making and tangible delivery outcomes.

Place Delivery Agreement: a new strategic framework to serve places and local leaders

2.4 The PDA establishes a framework through which LCRCA, Homes England and the National Housing Bank will align resources, expertise, capacity, investment and delivery activity to accelerate housing delivery, unlock regeneration opportunities and support the growth ambitions of the LCR.

2.5 The Agreement focuses on a small number of strategic priorities where a coordinated approach can have the greatest impact in overcoming barriers to delivery, attracting investment and bringing forward transformational housing and regeneration outcomes. These priorities reflect the shared ambition of both organisations to use housing, regeneration and place-based investment as a catalyst for economic growth, productivity and inclusive prosperity. More broadly, partners will maintain and enhance the existing LCR Housing Pipeline which will guide the deployment of resources, specialist support and investment activity across the City Region.

2.6 The priorities set out below will form the initial focus of activity under this Agreement. They will be reviewed periodically by the partners to ensure resources remain focused on the opportunities where joint intervention can deliver the greatest strategic impact.

2.7 Fundamentally, this framework is intended to ensure that local priorities, national capability and long-term investment are aligned around a common set of delivery objectives.

3. Theme A: Delivering large-scale transformation projects

3.1 A core purpose of this PDA is to provide the Mayor and local leaders across the LCR with the tools they need to deliver their most ambitious housing, regeneration and growth priorities. The Agreement recognises that achieving transformational change requires more than aligned ambition; it requires dedicated delivery capability, coordinated investment and long-term partnership.

3.2 Through the JDU, Homes England and the National Housing Bank will support the LCRCA to deliver a prioritised portfolio of major strategic projects. Bringing together land, funding, specialist technical expertise and investment capability and powers, the JDU will help accelerate delivery, unlock complex opportunities and support the delivery of places that make the greatest contribution to economic growth and housing supply.

3.3 The strategic projects identified below will form the initial focus of the PDA and represent opportunities where joint intervention can have the greatest impact on delivery outcomes across the City Region.

Strategic Place Priority 1: Proposed Liverpool North Docks Mayoral Development Corporation

3.4 North Liverpool represents one of the largest and most significant regeneration opportunities in the UK. Centred on the emerging Liverpool North Docks Mayoral Development Corporation and building on major investment at Liverpool Waters and the new Everton Football Club Stadium, the area has the potential to deliver around 17,000 homes, significant commercial development and the long-term transformation of Liverpool’s northern waterfront.

3.5 The scale, complexity and strategic importance of the opportunity requires a coordinated approach across land assembly, infrastructure provision, planning, investment and delivery. Homes England will work with Liverpool City Council and the LCRCA to support the establishment of the Mayoral Development Corporation and work with key partners to develop a coherent long-term regeneration programme capable of unlocking growth at scale.

Strategic Place Priority 2: Central Station Gateway

3.6 The Central Station Gateway programme represents a strategically important opportunity to combine transport investment with housing-led regeneration and city centre growth across 86 acres. The wider regeneration area has the potential to deliver around 4,300 homes alongside new commercial space, public realm improvements and enhanced connectivity between Liverpool City Centre, Lime Street Station and the Knowledge Quarter.

3.7 Delivery will require a coordinated approach to masterplanning, land assembly, infrastructure provision, investment and development phasing to maximise the wider economic and place benefits arising from investment in Liverpool Central Station and the surrounding area.

3.8 Partners will work together to develop a coherent and investable long-term proposition, bringing together transport, housing and regeneration interventions into a single programme capable of accelerating delivery and supporting wider city centre growth ambitions.

Strategic Place Priority 3: Housing and Regeneration Pipeline

3.9 Alongside the flagship regeneration opportunities identified above, Homes England and LCRCA will maintain and enhance the existing LCR Housing Pipeline, approved by the Mayor in January 2026.

3.10 The pipeline includes opportunities requiring different forms of support, including:

• investment-ready opportunities that are deliverable in the near-term
• projects where co-development or the targeted application of expertise or enabling investment will unlock delivery
• strategic growth and regeneration opportunities where a more integrated approach is required to unlock transformational change

3.11 Through the partnership, both organisations will work together to identify where aligned investment, expertise, delivery support and market engagement can have the greatest impact in unlocking homes, growth and regeneration outcomes across the City Region.

3.12 Early work will include:

• ensuring the delivery of the mayoral ambition for around 16,000 social and affordable homes across the city region between 2026 and 2036, via all routes including SAHP, Section 106 and complementary investment packages with the National Housing Bank or other institutions
• maximising the impact of the Liverpool City Region’s £700 million SAHP indicative spend amount to deliver thousands of social and affordable homes and council homes.

3.13 Building on work already underway we will also implement a new approach to unlock the true social value of public sector land via the PDA. This could test a more coordinated approach to identifying, assembling and unlocking public land opportunities across the City Region. Through the JDU, working with wider public sector partners, the partners will identify a portfolio of priority sites, explore barriers to delivery, and assess the potential for a longer-term public sector land programme that could accelerate housing delivery, regeneration and economic growth rather than just recycle receipts.

4. Theme B: Shared thematic priorities

4.1 The partners recognise that achieving the scale of change envisaged through the Local Growth Plan requires more than investment alone. It requires greater alignment between local priorities, national capability and investment decision-making. Through this Agreement, Homes England and the National Housing Bank will support the LCRCA to create a more integrated and locally responsive system, ensuring that the full range of housing, regeneration and growth interventions are aligned behind the Mayor’s priorities.

4.2 This PDA represents an opportunity to bring decision-making, delivery capability and investment closer to place. The PDA will strengthen the LCR’s influence over key elements of the housing and regeneration system, enabling local priorities to shape the deployment of funding, specialist expertise and delivery support.

4.3 The thematic priorities set out below focus on those areas where greater local influence, coordinated action and aligned investment can have the greatest impact on housing delivery, regeneration outcomes and economic growth. Together, they will help create the conditions required to unlock a stronger pipeline of housing and regeneration opportunities and support the delivery of the City Region’s long-term ambitions.

Social and affordable housing and council housebuilding delivery

4.4 Affordable housing is one of the clearest examples of how this PDA will bring decision-making, delivery capability and accountability closer to place.

4.5 Through this Agreement, the JDU will ensure affordable housing investment is aligned with the Mayor’s priorities for growth, regeneration and housing delivery. By combining regional decision-making with dedicated delivery capability and specialist affordable housing expertise, the partnership will enable investment decisions to be shaped more directly by local priorities and delivery opportunities.

4.6 The Liverpool City Region has an indicative spend amount of £700 million through the SAHP, creating a significant opportunity to accelerate affordable and council housebuilding across the city region. Through the JDU, partners will work together to maximise the impact of this investment, increase the pace and scale of delivery, and ensure affordable housing investment supports wider regeneration, economic growth and placemaking ambitions.

4.7 Through this partnership, the parties will seek to facilitate the delivery of the Mayor’s ambition of 16,000 social and affordable homes across the City Region between 2026 and 2036 including increasing the scale of council house delivery alongside broader regeneration and economic growth outcomes.

4.8 The partnership will maintain and enhance the LCR Housing Pipeline, ensuring activity and investment are directed towards opportunities that can unlock or accelerate delivery, address housing need and contribute to the ambitions of the Local Growth Plan. This will include:

• SAHP decisions on Continuous Market Engagement (CME) will be delegated to the regional SAHP team (within agreed thresholds) with the JDU providing the governance forum for approval, to enable investment decisions to be locally-led and determined
• the Mayor and LCRCA will be given full visibility of the affordable housing pipeline data in their area and through the JDU and enhanced governance they will be included in the affordable housing pipeline review and CME assessment process providing local insights and data to develop proposals
• the Mayor and LCRA will be involved in the assessment and decision-making process for further procurement rounds or extensions to existing Strategic Partnership allocations that affect the region
• a clearly-defined escalation process if members of the JDU cannot agree on the SAHP CME investment decision to be made, via the PDA, JDU, or respective governance structures for a definitive decision through monthly governance
• working with Registered Provider Strategic Partners operating within the SAHP to align investment plans and develop a coordinated pipeline of social and affordable housing opportunities across the City Region, supporting delivery of the Mayor’s affordable housing and regeneration priorities

4.9 Recognising the government’s ambition to significantly increase council housebuilding, Homes England will support the LCRCA to:

• review options to deliver council housing and then work collaboratively with local authorities to implement the preferred approaches — this will include consideration of delivery approaches, as well as the potential to align with other thematic areas of focus including land, industrialised construction and other forms of investment
• explore opportunities for targeted interventions which support building remediation, activity to bring empty homes back into use and other improvements to existing stock including where there are positive links to be made to other policy areas such as reduced use of temporary accommodation

Place-based investment and finance

4.10 The delivery of the Liverpool City Region’s housing and regeneration ambitions will require investment at a scale that cannot be achieved through grant funding alone. Unlocking transformational opportunities across the City Region will depend on the ability to combine public and private capital, recycle investment over time and develop investable propositions capable of attracting long-term institutional funding.

4.11 The National Housing Bank, launched by Homes England in 2026, has been established to accelerate the delivery of new homes and mixed-use regeneration schemes through flexible public investment. Backed by up to £16 billion of debt, equity and guarantee products, the bank is designed to work with national, regional and local partners to unlock housing delivery, crowd-in private capital and support the government’s ambition to deliver 1.5 million homes while delivering a positive financial return for the Exchequer.

The LCRCA and Homes England share an ambition to use the PDA as a platform to develop innovative approaches to place-based investment, enhancing the existing LCR Housing Pipeline of investable housing and regeneration opportunities and increasing the scale of private capital investment into the City Region.

4.12 As part of this Agreement, the National Housing Bank will actively seek opportunities to amplify the region’s local investment fund supporting housing and regeneration ambition and the Mayor’s priorities to attract wider investment using its lending, equity or guarantee capacity.

4.13 The National Housing Bank will support the development of a portfolio of investment opportunities capable of unlocking a significantly greater level of private and institutional capital investment over time, including from the NHB.

4.14 Partners will work together to identify and develop housing-led regeneration, infrastructure-enabled growth, mixed-use development and strategic land opportunities that have the potential to unlock significantly greater levels of private and institutional investment over time.

4.15 The partnership will seek to:

• maintain and enhance the prioritised pipeline of investable housing and regeneration opportunities across the LCR
• align National Housing Bank products and investment capabilities with mayoral growth and regeneration priorities
• maximise the deployment of NHB products in the City Region through targeted promotion, advice and support to the sector
• crowd-in institutional and private-sector capital alongside public investment
• explore innovative approaches to land, infrastructure and development finance that accelerate delivery and improve viability.
• establish LCR as a national exemplar for place-based investment and housing-led economic growth
• develop replicable investment models that can be applied across a wider pipeline of housing and regeneration opportunities

4.16 The LCRCA allocation of the National Housing Accelerator Fund will operate alongside National Housing Bank investment activity, helping to address barriers to delivery and develop the investable pipeline required to attract future bank support. Together, these funding streams have the potential to create a combined housing and regeneration investment platform, providing a flexible source of capital to unlock strategic housing and regeneration priorities across the City Region.

4.17 By combining devolved funding, National Housing Bank investment and private capital, the LCR will test a new model of place-based investment designed to accelerate delivery, improve viability and support long-term economic growth.

Skills, capacity and industrialised construction

4.18 Delivering the scale of housing and regeneration envisaged by the Local Growth Plan will require sufficient development capacity, technical expertise and workforce skills across both the public and private sectors. Addressing these challenges is critical to accelerating housing delivery, supporting economic growth and ensuring the City Region can maximise the opportunities presented by major regeneration and infrastructure investment. The City Region is also well placed to capitalise on manufacturing and supply chain opportunities, building on the area’s existing strengths in advanced manufacturing and specifically linked to industrialised construction.

4.19 Homes England and LCRCA share an ambition to position the LCR as a national centre of excellence for housing delivery, placemaking and innovation in construction. Building on the City Region’s existing strengths in advanced manufacturing, innovation and skills, partners will work together to increase sector capacity, improve productivity and support new approaches to housing deliver, in particular, through the Industrialising and Digitalising Construction Challenge (IDCC) programme.

4.20 The partnership will support the adoption and scaling of industrialised construction techniques through the Industrialising and Digitalising Construction Challenge (IDCC) programme and other innovative delivery models that can accelerate housing delivery, improve quality, enhance sustainability and strengthen supply chain resilience. Particular emphasis will be placed on opportunities that can support the delivery of social and affordable housing, housing-led regeneration and large-scale growth locations.

4.21 The partnership will seek to:

• realise the LCR’s ambition to become a national centre of excellence for industrialised construction and housing innovation including through the IDCC programme and local pull-through plan
• support the IDCC programme’s priorities and local pull-through plan
• strengthen the capacity and capability of local authorities, developers and delivery partners to bring forward complex housing and regeneration schemes
• align housing delivery with skills, employment and economic development programmes to maximise local economic benefits and create pathways into high-quality jobs, including adopting recommendations from Alan Milburn’s review
• work with local authorities, colleges, universities, industry partners and government to address skills shortages and develop the future workforce required to deliver the City Region’s growth ambitions
• identify opportunities to test and scale innovative approaches to delivery, infrastructure provision and placemaking that can improve productivity and accelerate housing delivery

4.2.3 Through this Agreement, Homes England will support the LCRCA to ensure that the skills, capacity and innovation required to support long-term housing and regeneration growth are embedded across the LCR, strengthening the foundations for sustainable delivery and creating a model that can be replicated nationally.

5. Next steps: Delivery, governance and implementation

5.1 This new single framework will help to strengthen local capability to support delivery, while recognising a desire to go further in boosting the capacity, expertise and sharing of good practice across the public and private sector partners in the sub-region via a focused programme of activity.

5.2 The JDU will provide greater visibility and accountability to the Mayor, giving the Mayor the control, influence and resources needed to build the homes and places communities require and to hold partners to account for delivery.

5.3 LCRCA, Homes England and the National Housing Bank commit to progressing a joint Delivery Plan outlining key tasks, milestones and resourcing commitments underpinned by a governance framework which delivers on the principles outlined in this PDA.

Partnership commitments

5.4 The parties commit to:

• align resources around mayoral priorities
• maintain and enhance the LCR’s shared strategic development and investment pipeline
• jointly identify and resolve barriers
• coordinate stakeholder engagement through the LCR Developer Network
• share intelligence and investment planning
• support delivery through a dedicated JDU

5.5 This PDA will operate on a 3-year basis and will be reviewed annually to ensure it remains aligned with evolving national policy, mayoral priorities, market conditions and delivery opportunities. The PDF is intended to provide a single framework while retaining sufficient flexibility to respond to changing circumstances and emerging priorities.

Delivery of the PDA will be supported through:

• a rolling delivery programme maintained through the JDU, responding to mayoral priorities, interventions and opportunities requiring joint action
• a detailed annual Delivery Plan, agreed following approval of the PDA, translating strategic priorities into specific actions, responsibilities, milestones and resource commitments
• an annual review process to refresh delivery priorities, resource allocations and pipeline activity without requiring the full PDA to be renegotiated
• regular monitoring and performance reporting through the governance and accountability arrangements within this PDA, enabling partners to track progress, identify emerging risks and agree corrective action where required

5.6 The parties acknowledge that successful delivery will require ongoing collaboration between Homes England, the National Housing Bank, LCRCA and wider delivery partners, including local authorities, government departments, infrastructure providers, registered providers, investors and other stakeholders.

Joint Delivery Unit

5.2 The Joint Delivery Unit (JDU) will provide a single delivery interface between the Combined Authority and Homes England and drive implementation of agreed priorities through the following functions:

• programme management
• opportunity identification
• pipeline development
• major project delivery
• investment coordination
• risk management
• performance monitoring

5.8 Provisional capacity and capability estimates have been used in formulating this agreement. These will be refined and confirmed in the follow-on Delivery Plan for both Homes England and LCRCA with illustrative Homes England resources set out here.

Homes England resourcing of the JDU

Strategic leadership and sponsorship

Project leadership

Partnership leadership

Partnership support

Priority project capability — North Liverpool Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) and Central Station Gateway

Partnership and business development

Loan origination, National Housing Bank

Affordable Homes

Acquisitions

Planning and enabling

Infrastructure grants project management

Pipeline project and shared thematic capability

Partnership and business development

Product development guarantees, National Housing Bank

New Homes Accelerator

Affordable Homes

Cladding safety

Development finance, National Housing Bank

Planning and enabling

Infrastructure loans, National Housing Bank

Infrastructure grants project management

Acquisitions

5.9 The JDU will be complemented by housing delivery expertise from across the wider agency shaped to develop products, schemes and initiatives as part of this thematic capacity, including on:

• social and affordable housing
• NHB finance and product specialists
• specialist technical capabilities
• strategy, research and innovation capacity

Specialist capabilities

In the first instance, the specialist capabilities that the JDU has access to are expected to comprise:

• Advisory Team for Large Applications (ATLAS) (specialist planning support)
• communications
• community engagement
• Compulsory Purchase Order
• contingent assets and liabilities
• design (urban design, architecture)
• development finance (National Housing Bank)
• disposals
• economics
• environment and nature
• equity and partnerships (National Housing Bank)
• estates
• geospatial
• guarantees (National Housing Bank)
• SAHP strategy, delivery and innovation
• legal
• Infrastructure Grants project management
• Infrastructure Loans (National Housing Bank)
• Low Interest Loans (National Housing Bank)
• masterplanning
• New Homes Accelerator (specialist delivery unblocking)
• planning and enabling
• risk
• strategy, research and analysis and market engagement
• structured real estate finance (National Housing Bank)
• sustainability and net zero
• technical services

Governance and accountability

5.10 The Governance Framework will be developed further through the Delivery Plan and will include:

• creating significantly enhanced accountability through a shared performance framework and direct reporting arrangements to the Mayor
• establishing strengthened oversight arrangements involving the Mayor, the chairs of Homes England and the National Housing Bank and the chief executives of both organisations
• introducing quarterly senior sponsor meetings to oversee delivery, resolve barriers and hold the partnership to account for agreed outcomes

5.11 In recognition of the commitment to create an even more responsive and re-wired delivery body as outlined in the Housing Minister’s letter, and to bring decision-making and accountability closer to impacted communities, the parties will commit in parallel to review existing delegations, reporting and accountability frameworks. Communications and stakeholder engagement activity will similarly be reviewed to maximise Homes England impact. Homes England will ensure information on planned activity within the geographical area of the LCR will be shared with LCRCA in advance via the JDU.

Delivery Plan

5.12 The PDA will be supported by a detailed Delivery Plan which will provide the primary mechanism for coordinating delivery activity and monitoring progress against agreed commitments.

5.13 The Delivery Plan will:

• translate the strategic priorities and commitments set out within this PDA into deliverable programmes, projects and interventions
• set out key milestones, outputs, funding requirements, resource commitments and critical dependencies = identify risks, constraints and barriers to delivery, together with proposed mitigation measures and required decisions
• establish performance measures, success indicators and reporting arrangements
• maintain a forward pipeline of opportunities and activities to support delivery of shared priorities
• identify areas where additional collaboration, investment or intervention may be required to achieve agreed outcomes

Each partnership commitment included within the Delivery Plan will identify:

• the agreed commitment or activity
• the responsible organisation or organisations
• a named lead owner
• target completion or review dates
• expected outputs and outcomes
• success measures and monitoring arrangements

5.14 Following approval of the PDA, the JDU will coordinate preparation of the Delivery Plan and maintain it as a live document throughout the life of the PDA.

The partners will agree:

• the timetable for the preparation and implementation of the Delivery Plan
• the lead organisation responsible for coordinating drafting and updates
• governance arrangements for review, endorsement and approval
• the senior officers authorised to approve revisions and updates
• reporting arrangements to support effective oversight and accountability

5.14 The JDU will coordinate preparation of the Delivery Plan and maintain it as a live document throughout the life of the PDA.

Annual review

5.15 The PDA will be subject to an annual review led by the JDU and overseen through the governance arrangements referred to in this PDA. It will report to the Mayor and the Chief Executive and Chair of Homes England.

The review will:

• assess progress against the commitments and success measures set out in the Delivery Plan
• consider emerging opportunities, risks and policy developments
• review resource requirements and delivery capacity
• refresh the rolling programme of activity and priority projects
• recommend amendments to the Delivery Plan where required

5.16 Unless otherwise agreed by the parties, changes arising through the annual review process will be managed through updates to the Delivery Plan and will not require the PDA itself to be redrafted or re-executed.

5.17 This approach will ensure that the PDA remains a stable long-term framework while enabling partners to adapt delivery activity in response to changing circumstances and opportunities.

6. General

6.1 The schedule to this PDA is incorporated into and forms part of this PDA.

6.2 This PDA shall not relationship of partnership joint venture and, or, agent relationships between the Parties, nor authorise the parties to make or enter into any commitments for or on behalf of another party.

6.3 Nothing contained or implied in this PDA or any consent or approval granted pursuant to this PDA shall prejudice or affect the rights powers duties and obligations of the Parties in the exercise of their respective statutory functions and such rights powers duties and obligations may be as fully and effectually exercised as if the relevant Party was not a party to this PDA and any approval consent direction or authority given by the relevant Party as local or statutory authority (as the case may be) shall not be or be deemed to be an approval consent direction or authority given under this PDA and vice versa.

In witness whereof, the undersigned have signed duplicates of the present PDA on behalf of respective institutions and agree that nothing express or implied in this agreement creates any legally binding obligations on either party. Each party shall keep 1 copy of the originals.

Signed for and on behalf of Homes and Communities Agency (Homes England)

Signed for and on behalf of National Housing Bank

Signed for and on behalf of Liverpool City Region Combined Authority

Schedule

1. Confidentiality

1.1 In this clause the following words and expressions have the following meaning:

Confidential Information means the terms of this PDA and all information whether oral or written (on whatever medium stored) relating this PDA disclosed or made available, directly or indirectly one party or its employees, officers, representatives or advisers to the other party or its employees, officers, representatives or advisers but excludes any information which:

(i) at the time of such disclosure is, or subsequently becomes, publicly available; (ii) at the time of such disclosure is, or subsequently becomes, available to the Recipient from a person who, to the Recipient’s knowledge, is not under any confidential obligation in respect of that information; or (iii) has been independently acquired by a Party without breaching any of their respective obligations in this PDA.

1.2 Each Party recognises that under this PDA it may receive Confidential Information belonging to the other.

1.3 Each Party agrees to treat all Confidential Information belonging to the other as confidential and not to disclose such Confidential Information or any other confidential information relating to each other arising or coming to its attention in the course of this PDA to any third party without the prior written consent of the other Party and agrees not to use such Confidential Information for any purpose other than that for which it is supplied under this PDA.

1.4 The obligations of confidence referred to in Clause 1.3 shall not apply to any Confidential Information which:

(a) is in, or which comes into, the public domain otherwise than by reason of a breach of this this PDA or of any other duty of confidentiality relating to that information; or

(b) is obtained from a third party without that third party being under an obligation (express or implied) to keep the information confidential; or

(c) is lawfully in the possession of the other Party before the date of this this PDA and in respect of which that Party is not under an existing obligation of confidentiality; or

(d) is independently developed without access to the Confidential Information of the other Party.

1.5 Each Party will be permitted to disclose Confidential Information to the extent that it is required to do so:

(a) to enable the disclosing party to perform its obligations under this this PDA; or

(b) by any applicable law or by a court, arbitral or administrative tribunal in the course of proceedings before it including without limitation any requirement for disclosure under Freedom of Information Laws as defined in clause 3) and the Parties acknowledge that any lists or schedules provided by it outlining Confidential Information are of indicative value only and that the other party may nevertheless be obliged to disclose such confidential information; or

(c) by any regulatory body (including any investment exchange) acting in the course of proceedings before it or acting in the course of its duties; or

(d) in order to give proper instructions to any professional adviser of that Party who also has an obligation to keep any such Confidential Information confidential.

1.6 The Parties shall ensure that all Confidential Information obtained from the other Party under or in connection with this PDA:-

(a) is given only to such of its employees, professional advisors or consultants engaged to advise it in connection with this PDA as is strictly necessary for the performance of this PDA and only to the extent necessary for the performance of this PDA;

(b) is treated as confidential and not disclosed (without Homes England’s prior written approval) or used by any such staff or professional advisors or consultants otherwise than for the purposes of this PDA and in all instances such third parties are subject to a signed confidentiality undertaking.

1.7 Notwithstanding any other provision of this PDA, nothing in this agreement shall prevent Homes England:

(a) disclosing any Confidential Information for the purpose of:

(i) the examination and certification of its accounts; or

(ii) any examination pursuant to section 6(1) of the National Audit Act 1983 of the economy, efficiency and effectiveness with which Homes England has used its resources; or

(b) disclosing any Confidential Information to any other department, office or agency of the Crown provided that in disclosing such Confidential Information pursuant to this paragraph (b), it discloses only the information which is necessary for the purpose concerned and requires that the information is treated in confidence.

1.8 Save as otherwise set out in this clause 1, no Party shall, and each Party shall use reasonable endeavours to ensure that no contractor, officer, employee or agent shall, communicate with any representative of any press, television, radio or other communications media on any matter concerning this PDA without the other Party’s prior written consent (in each case, not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed).

2. Freedom of information

2.1 In this clause the following words and expressions have the following meaning:

Freedom of Information Laws means the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 and any subordinate legislation made thereunder from time to time together with any guidance and/or codes of practice issued by the Information Commissioner in relation to such legislation;

2.2 The Parties are each a public authority as defined under the Freedom of Information Laws and so may be required to disclose information in response to a request for information under those laws (Request for Information). The Party in receipt of a Request for Information (Recipient) shall be responsible for determining whether any such information insofar as it relates to this Agreement should be disclosed pursuant to a Request for Information and will:

(a) where appropriate and as soon as reasonably practicable inform the other Party that it has received a request to disclose information in response to a request for information under the Freedom of Information Laws; and

(b) in relation to such information and pursuant to the Freedom of Information Laws, consider the application of the exceptions and exemptions to disclosure before complying with any obligation to disclose such information.

2.3 Nothing in this PDA will prevent either Party from complying with any valid order, decision, enforcement or practice recommendation notice issued to it by the Information Commissioner under the Freedom of Information Laws.

3. Anti bribery

3.1 The Parties shall:

(a) comply with all applicable laws, statutes, regulations, and codes relating to anti-bribery and anti-corruption including but not limited to the Bribery Act 2010 (Requirements);

(b) not engage in any activity, practice or conduct which would constitute an offence under sections 1, 2 or 6 of the Bribery Act 2010 if such activity, practice or conduct had been carried out in the UK;

(c) have and maintain in place throughout the term of this MoU its own policies and procedures, including but not limited to adequate procedures under the Bribery Act 2010, to ensure compliance with the Requirements, the Relevant Policies and paragraph (b), and will enforce them where appropriate;

3.2 The Parties shall ensure that any person who is performing services or providing goods in connection with this Agreement does so only on the basis of a written contract which imposes on and secures from such person obligations in the same terms as paragraphs (a) to (c) above and also an obligation to immediately report to the appointing party any request or demand for any undue financial or other advantage of any kind received by them in connection with the performance of such services or the provision of such goods and to (at the request of the appointing party) produce a written certificate confirming compliance with the ani-bribery requirements and to provide such supporting evidence of compliance as the appointing party may reasonably request.

4. General

4.1 All individuals assigned a Party to this PDA (each an Employer) to support the strategic priorities as identified in section 5 to this PDA and/or the Delivery Plan shall remain employees of their Employer at all times. The Employer shall retain sole and exclusive responsibility for all employment-related matters pertaining to their assigned individuals. No provision of this Agreement shall be interpreted as creating any employment, agency, or partnership relationship between such Party’s individuals and the other Party to this PDA.

4.2 The Parties shall at all times act in good faith in relation to this PDA and enter into this PDA intending to honour all their obligations.

4.3 This PDA shall not create the relationship of partnership joint venture and/or agent relationships between the Parties, nor authorise the parties to make or enter into any commitments for or on behalf of another party.

5. Status

5.1 This PDA is not intended to be legally binding, and no legal obligations or legal rights shall arise between the parties from this PDA.

5.2 The parties agree that clause 1 (Confidentiality) and clause 2 (Freedom of Information) are intended to be (and is) legally binding on each of them.