The government has launched the £2bn Liverpool City Region Investment Fund to unlock major development, including housebuilding, boosting economic growth and creating jobs.
The fund brings together new and existing public funding in a single investment pot and forms a central part of the city region’s long-term plan to expand the economy by £10bn over the next decade.
Initial investments will focus on developing high-quality office space in Liverpool city centre, alongside lab space and light industrial units across the wider city region, to support fast-growing sectors such as advanced manufacturing, life sciences and digital technology.
The fund will also help fast-track housebuilding across the city region, supporting a £2bn development pipeline of up to 64,000 homes and the infrastructure to support growing communities.
Further investment will support transport improvements and regeneration projects, including plans for four new rail stations, a rapid transit system and transport-linked development across the region.
Unveiling the investment fund at Mipim, Liverpool mayor Steve Rotheram said: “Anyone who knows this region knows we’ve never been short of ambition; what we’ve sometimes lacked are the tools and funding to turn that ambition into reality.
“Over the past few years, however, devolution has started to change that. We’ve been able to put our money where our mouth is and invest in things that really matter to people here – new train stations, a publicly owned fleet of trains, multi-modal interchanges, a fast-growing digital network and tens of thousands of new jobs and apprenticeships.”
The investment fund will also support regeneration initiatives such as Liverpool’s North Docks, the area between the city centre and Everton FC’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium.
