LCR supplies £2m to kickstart Huyton masterplan

Liverpool City Region Combined Authority’s funding injection would allow staff to move out of offices earmarked for demolition, which would set in motion the Huyton Village Project masterplan, a 10-year, £163m project to enhance the town’s centre.

In a meeting scheduled for Friday, approval will be sought for an allocation of £2m from the Strategic Investment Fund to Knowsley Council to support its acquisition of 1-8 Cavendish Walk.

These acquired units would provide 29,000 sq ft of retail space, with office accommodation on their upper floors. In March, Knowsley Council bought 27,000 sq ft of Cavendish Walk to help prepare for the masterplan’s initiation.

The vacant units would be temporarily used as a community event space before the town’s existing library is relocated into them, while upper floor office space would become home to up to 80 council staff.

The 80 staff would be relocated from the Computer Centre and Municipal Annexe – two buildings that are part of the earmarked seven acres of Huyton’s town centre that require demolition work before any development can begin.

Consent for the building’s demolition was granted by Knowsley’s cabinet last month.

The site of the former council offices would then be cleared to host a 3.3-acre ‘village green’ centred around a relocated Cenotaph, and energy-efficient office spaces.

Confirmation of the funding and purchase of 1-8 Cavendish Walks would initiate Knowsley Council and developer Genr8/Kajima’s wider masterplan for the town centre.

Mike Smith, director at Genr8/Kajima, said: “We are excited to have the support of the combined authority for this transformational scheme which will deliver genuine regeneration for the region.”

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: “We’ve shown in Kirkby and Prescot what we can achieve when we work together – and now it’s Huyton’s turn.

“Alongside Knowsley Council, we’re unlocking the potential for Huyton to become a thriving, modern town that people can feel proud of.”

He added: “This £2m investment is about more than just new buildings – it’s about creating affordable homes, vibrant green spaces, and better facilities that will bring jobs, businesses, and life back into the town centre.

“It’s another step in our mission to ensure every part of our city region gets the opportunity to thrive.”

The masterplan’s first phase, known as St. Michael’s Place, would provide 72 affordable one- and two-bed homes to rent, as well as a 130-key hotel, and 85,000 sq ft of commercial office space on the site of the Computer Centre.

Work on the first phase is expected to start in the second quarter of 2026, with a finishing date set for Q2 2028.

It is expected the masterplan could provide up to £62m in economic benefits to Huyton, with an extra £2.7m spent in the town’s centre each year.

Lathom Road’s multi-storey car park has also been earmarked for redevelopment, with a street-level sustainable transport hub providing electric vehicle charging points and bicycle storage, planned to replace it.

It is hoped that an application to LCRCA’s City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement will secure funding for the hub.

Later phases of the masterplan propose a further 150,000 sq ft of commercial office space and 300 more homes.

Knowsley Council is continuing discussions with the government, Homes England, and the combined authority on potential funding for the masterplan.