Draft Liverpool Housing Design Guide SPD

Overview

Liverpool City Council is inviting residents, developers, architects, and other stakeholders to give their feedback as part of the public consultation on the draft Liverpool Housing Design Guide.

What is the Liverpool Housing Design Guide?

The Liverpool Housing Design Guide is a new Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), created to ensure that all new homes and housing developments in Liverpool meet high standards of design, sustainability, and liveability. It supports the Liverpool Local Plan and will be a material consideration in planning decisions.

This guide sets out clear expectations across housing typologies for the design of all new homes, conversions, and household extensions. It aims to:

• Promote healthier, fairer communities through better housing design.
• Reflect Liverpool’s unique character and heritage.
• Support the city’s ambition to achieve net zero carbon by 2030.
• Embed health equity into housing design, as part of Liverpool’s commitment as a Marmot City.

The draft Liverpool Housing Design Guide SPD comprises two documents:

• The Housing Design Guide
• The Characterisation Study

Who is the Guide for?

The draft Liverpool Housing Design Guide is intended for:

• Developers, landowners, architects, and design teams proposing new housing schemes.
• Homeowners planning renovations, extensions, or alterations.
• Planning officers and councillors assessing planning applications.

What does the Guide Cover?

Document 1: The Liverpool Housing Design Guide

The Liverpool Housing Design Guide includes detailed guidance across five key chapters, plus appendices:

1. Character Areas – Defines six broad but distinct housing character areas across Liverpool and provides guidance for context-sensitive design.
2. Placemaking and public space – Covers site layout, streets, public routes, open spaces, lighting, and landscaping.
3. Communal areas – Provides space standards and design guidance for shared spaces such as entrances, cycle storage, and waste facilities.
4. Homes, gardens and balconies – Provides guidance for internal layouts, accessibility, private gardens, and balconies.
5. Guidance for homeowners – Offers advice on extensions, sustainability improvements, and garden design.
6. Appendix – Sets standards for parking and cycle parking.

Document 2: The Characterisation Study

The Characterisation Study supports the Design Guide and provides a baseline analysis of Liverpool’s housing context which has helped inform the overall vision and guidance. It identifies broad but distinct housing character areas across the city and describes their unique characteristics.

How to Take Part

We want to ensure the Liverpool Housing Design Guide reflects the needs and aspirations of Liverpool’s communities. Your feedback will help shape the final version of the SPD and ensure it supports inclusive, high-quality housing across the city.

Submit your feedback via the survey below. The consultation is open until 04 December 2025. The complete set of documents can be downloaded below and are embedded throughout for reference.