Peel Waters Reports Progress on £81.1 Million Central Docks Infrastructure Project at Liverpool Waters

Peel Waters announced significant progress on the £81.1 million Central Docks infrastructure project at Liverpool Waters one year after the ceremonial groundbreaking that marked the start of construction. The programme, funded in part by Homes England, is preparing the site for approximately 2,350 new homes in Liverpool's former docklands.

The infrastructure works are being delivered by contractor GRAHAM and are laying the foundations for the Central Docks neighbourhood, a 26-acre waterfront district that will be the largest of the five neighbourhoods within Liverpool Waters. The project is backed by £25.9 million of direct investment from Peel Waters and £55.2 million of funding from Homes England.

Central Docks Infrastructure Works: Progress to Date

Peel Waters said teams have excavated, processed and repurposed approximately 78,000 cubic metres of material across the site since works began. Other completed work includes:

• Almost 20 kilometres of utility ducting installed, along with 244 utility chambers
• Around 2.7 kilometres of drainage infrastructure delivered, including 101 manholes
• More than 1,640 metres of kerbing and 1,400 square metres of paving completed
• Bridge foundations constructed and a new road bridge structure installed
• More than 1,300 tonnes of historic dockside cobbles recovered for reuse, with more than 650 square metres already laid along Dock Wall Walk

The recovered cobbles weigh the equivalent of around 170 double-decker buses, according to Peel Waters, and are being reused across the development to preserve the site's maritime heritage. The project has also received a 99% score under the Considerate Constructors Scheme.

Upcoming milestones include installation of a new pedestrian bridge, completion of screening chamber demolition works and continued infrastructure delivery across the wider site. The infrastructure works and park are expected to be completed in spring 2028.

Homes England Funding Supports Plans for About 2,350 Homes

The works are unlocking land for approximately 2,350 homes, alongside public realm, green space, commercial opportunities and waterfront amenities. Peel Waters said the infrastructure is creating development-ready plots across the neighbourhood and that it is engaging with developers, investors, registered providers and funding partners. The planned housing mix includes private sale, build-to-rent, affordable and later living homes.

Homes England describes its investment as a brownfield housing intervention aligned with the government's objective of delivering 1.5 million homes over five years. The agency projects that the scheme will unlock more than £550 million of private investment. GRAHAM's construction contract is approximately £71 million, the largest component of the overall project cost.

Chris Capes, Liverpool Waters Development Director at Peel Waters, said: "Projects of this scale start with the infrastructure that people don't always see, but it is this investment that makes everything else possible. Every metre of drainage installed, every utility connection delivered and every bridge structure completed is helping create the framework for an entirely new waterfront community."

Capes added: "Central Docks will deliver approximately 2,350 homes alongside a major city park, new public spaces and opportunities for businesses to invest and grow. As these works continue, we're creating development-ready plots and are already in active discussions with developers, investors and funding partners interested in helping deliver the next phase of the neighbourhood."

Central Park and Public Realm at Liverpool Waters

Central Docks will be anchored by a five-acre Central Park, which Peel Waters describes as one of Liverpool city centre's largest new green spaces. The park is planned around a series of connected zones, including seating overlooking the canal, open lawn spaces, play provision for children aged three to 15, sports courts, parkour equipment for teenagers and flexible event spaces for pop-up markets and performances. A café pavilion with indoor and outdoor seating is planned at the centre of the park.

More than 3,000 new trees are planned across Central Docks, alongside shaded seating and dog-friendly areas. Heritage-salvaged features will also be incorporated into the park.

Local Skills Initiatives Tied to the Project

Peel Waters said the project team has worked with education providers, community organisations and industry partners over the past year to support apprenticeships, student placements and careers engagement. Initiatives have included support for The City of Liverpool College's T-Level programme, industry experience for students from Liverpool John Moores University, a partnership with PLACED aimed at people aged 11 to 25, and participants from the LFC Foundation's Pathway to Work programme visiting the site.

Alastair Lewis, Contracts Director at GRAHAM, said: "GRAHAM is delivering the essential infrastructure that will unlock the regeneration of this historic area of Liverpool's waterfront. This vital work is transforming former dockland into development-ready sites, creating the infrastructure needed to support the delivery of approximately 2,350 new homes."

Wider Liverpool Waters Activity and Market Context

Liverpool Waters extends across 60 hectares and more than two kilometres of Liverpool's northern docklands. Peel Waters said momentum has continued across the wider development over the past year. Everton Football Club has completed its first full year operating from the Hill Dickinson Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock. Demolition works have begun in the King's Dock neighbourhood, and Vibora Liverpool Waters, described as the UK's first floating padel destination, has opened at Princes Dock. Wyld Sauna has added a second floating sauna installation.

Starlight Investments' 31-storey, 278-home build-to-rent tower at Liverpool Waters has been completed and opened. Peel Waters also said Liverpool Cruise Port has had another successful season and that Liverpool Waters has continued to attract businesses to its commercial space.

The Central Docks model pairs public-sector enabling infrastructure with later private or institutional delivery of residential plots. The mix of tenures planned for the neighbourhood is intended to broaden the potential pool of housebuilders, registered providers, build-to-rent investors and later living operators for individual plots.

Peel Waters said it continues to welcome conversations with organisations interested in helping deliver the next phase of the neighbourhood.

Sources

Peel Waters, "Central Docks Liverpool Waters One Year On": https://www.peelwaters.co.uk/news/central-docks-liverpool-waters-one-year-one/