Norris Green, Liverpool

About Norris Green and its location

Norris Green is a large housing estate situated in the West Derby area of Liverpool. The scheme involved the redevelopment of a 63 acre parcel of cleared housing owned by Liverpool City Council.  The project involved the construction of 829 mixed tenure homes aimed at regenerating the housing market in the area by providing a diverse range of properties with a variety of ownership and rental options.

Formerly known as the ‘Boot Estate, the housing estate was once a thriving residential community, however structural issues in the houses identified in the 1980’s rendered the homes unfit for occupation and led to a two decade programme of compulsory purchase and demolition. During this period the community was fragmented and the estate suffered uncertainty and decay. In 2007 Liverpool City Council established Liverpool Partnership LLP with Sigma Capital as the regeneration vehicle to undertake an initiative to regenerate the area.

The first phases of development were made financially possible by the utilisation of the Homes and Community Agency funding to deliver a total of 134 houses for affordable rent, 474 homes for private sale, and a further 221 houses for private rental.

• Start date: 2011
• Total number of dwellings: 829
• Private homes for sale: 474
• Affordable houses:124
• Private rented houses: 221

Following site commencement in 2011, the scheme was developed in a number of phases over the next eight years, with the final phase of 269 units being released in 2015. All private, rented and affordable homes are now fully constructed and occupied.

Project challenges and how we overcame them

Financial: Using its partnership ethos, Sigma worked with Liverpool City Council and collectively secured the support of the Homes and Communities Agency to finance and initial phase of 45 social rented, and 15 private for sale units. Countryside were then appointed as the housebuilding partner and further phases of private rented, private sale and affordable homes were delivered.

Community: As a result of the period of uncertainty following the purchase and demolition of the existing homes, it was important to re-establish the sense of community that had previously existed in the neighbourhood. This involved forming quality areas of open space for leisure and exercise, new amenities, and improving Monkstown CP Primary School and Ellerton Community Centre.

Affordability: Given the low average earnings of the area it was important to ensure all members of the community were able to access the new homes. The mixed tenure approach ensured this by accommodating all homes seekers, including owner occupiers, private renters, and social housing tenants.