Northern Stars: Liverpool Waters – connecting the dots between community, business, and culture

Liverpool Waters is a £5 billion, two million-square-foot urban regeneration project bringing new life to Liverpool’s historic waterfront, led by waterside regeneration specialists Peel Waters. 

Creating a waterside ecosystem of residential, commercial, and leisure spaces, Liverpool Waters will transform the city’s former docklands into a space for local people, communities, and businesses to come together.

Its Development Director, Chris Capes, tells us more. 

Future-proofing Liverpool’s historic waterfront

Liverpool Waters is a 60-hectare, community-centred development, spanning two kilometres of the River Mersey that will bring the city’s iconic waterfront back to life. 

The city’s docklands have been historically renowned for their economic contribution to the UK as a gateway to goods. But to future-proof its place in the world, Peel Waters is transforming it into somewhere that imports and exports culture too. 

The vision is to create a cohesive space for businesses, culture, and the local community to come together in one place. This interconnected network will benefit not just the communities that exist here today, but also the generations that will live and work there in future.

Part of the mission in making this a reality is to develop five sustainable, inclusive, mixed-use neighbourhoods that feature homes and offices alongside nature, cafes, cultural heritage sites and more. Some people call it home, others a place of work, some just visit for coffee; the beauty of Liverpool Waters is that it works symbiotically together.

Creating space on behalf of the community

Many of the projects we take on at Peel Waters are long-term, complex developments spanning many years. Navigating these timescales successfully requires patience, agility, a clear long-term vision, and an open mind. Change presents both challenges and opportunities; it’s about being open and prepared to maximise them. 

The plan for Liverpool Waters was approved 11 years ago and has changed significantly in the years since. Why? Because the city and needs of the community have evolved in that time, and our mission is to design and build a development that best serves them. It’s become focused on people and shaping the community, providing more affordable homes and public space – even incorporating the new Everton Football Stadium. 

How do we stay agile? We listen to what local people want to see developed. We take design inspiration from similar developments. We keep the bigger picture in focus. We build strong relationships with like-minded organisations. And we’re always open to new ideas from the community and trusted partners.

A great example is our partnership with Liverpool City College. We have a construction hub based on site for young people to access new skills, experience, and job opportunities on our development plots. By creating this talent pipeline, we’re playing an important part in the development and education of young people in Liverpool. The city is home to various other organisations focused on getting young people engaged within the built environment sector, which we are keen to work with.

Taking sustainability targets above and beyond

Fundamental to our long-term mission and vision is our commitment to minimising our environmental impact. We strive to go above and beyond to meet ambitious sustainability, net zero, and biodiversity targets.

For example, we ensure that our buildings are rated BREEAM ‘Excellent’ when they're built and our three office buildings are certified net zero carbon.

When it comes to energy, we’re developing a low-carbon district heat network that takes warmth from the canal to provide heat and hot water to the whole of the Liverpool Waters development.

We’ve also conducted a natural capital, ecosystem, and biodiversity assessment of the development, aiming to understand whether net gain in these areas can be achieved and setting targets to enhance this.

Because of the scale of the development at Liverpool Waters, we can make these sustainability-focused decisions early, but it’s also about being really committed to doing so. At Peel Waters we’re not only committed to implementing all the standard measures - we’re also dedicated to going above and beyond to create sustainable developments that are fit for the future. 

Advice for other purpose-led businesses

• Be patient: We all want things to happen today, tomorrow, or the day after – but shifting market, political, and local cycles are inevitabilities we all need to work with. At Peel Waters, our projects often span decades of change and positive impact doesn't always show up in the short term. Having patience is crucial to keeping purpose on track.
• Have a clear, long-term vision: It’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture when you’re facing the more granular challenges of everyday work. But adopt a long-term vision, stick to it, and regularly remind your teams exactly why their work is really important and making a difference.
• Partnerships are powerful: Whether it’s councils, community groups, or cultural institutions – we've got a positive reputation with many trusted partners who we work with time and time again. And we expect these partners to adopt the same environmental and social principles as us. If you've got the right partners in place, everyone tends to do better out of it. 

If you’ve been inspired by Liverpool Waters and its mission, join the True North network here.