A major project to make hundreds of north Liverpool homes warmer, more comfortable and easier to run, has been praised by Steve Rotheram, Mayor of Liverpool City Region.

Housing association Onward Homes hosted a mayoral visit to its Kirkdale, County and Warbreck neighbourhoods, where 400 ageing terraced homes are being upgraded through grant funding secured by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.

Local homes have been fitted with a range of upgrades where needed, including triple-glazed windows and doors, insulation to walls and loft spaces, new roofs and interior ventilation, making them more energy efficient and easier for residents to heat.

In total, Onward is investing more than £15 million into the project, with £4.48 million in grant funding drawn from Wave 2.1 of the government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF), following a successful bid managed by the Combined Authority on behalf of local housing providers.

As well as improving the condition of customers’ homes, the project is also benefitting local causes through social value contributions from contractor Novus Property Solutions. One such beneficiary is Everton in the Community’s Safe Hands programme, which helps young people living with special educational needs and poor mental health.

The Mayor also visited Community Shop in Walton, a social enterprise offering access to affordable quality food, combined with personal development programmes.

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of Liverpool City Region, said:

“This is a fantastic example of the type of upgrade we want to see in homes across the Liverpool City Region.

“Not only will these homes be warmer, more comfortable and energy-efficient, but this investment will also improve lives and create a lasting, positive impact in the local community.

“I’m proud that we’ve been able to support this vital work, and we’ll continue to champion projects that bring tangible benefits to residents and future generations.”

Bronwen Rapley, Chief Executive at Onward Homes, said:

“Kirkdale is by far our most ambitious retrofit project to date, improving living conditions for hundreds of customers and making it easier to keep their homes warm. We are very grateful to the Mayor and Liverpool City Region Combined Authority for supporting this vital work.

“We are determined that the benefits of this investment should be felt far beyond our customers’ homes and ensure a positive local legacy. We are pleased to be adding more than £50,000 in social value to our longstanding commitment to support local customers.”

By 2030, Onward plans to invest more than £42 million on improvements to existing homes, including retrofitting 3,000 homes across the north west to make them more energy efficient.

Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has secured £105 million to retrofit 10,000 homes by September 2025, working with housing associations and other partners.

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