Liverpool has been awarded £13 million of government funding to deliver housing regeneration in the city.

The funding forms the lion's share of £16.5m awarded to the City Region.

The money from the Empty Homes Fund will be used to drive forward improvements in a key area of L4 affected by the ending of the Housing Market Renewal Initiative (HMRI), which will be renamed Anfield Village. The award also extends to the Rockfield area, both immediately adjacent to Anfield stadium.

The council plans to start a programme of work with the Homes and Communities Agency and Arena Housing Association to refurbish properties in the area and create a revitalised community where people want to live.

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It will bring together the former phases 6 and 7 of the Anfield Breckfield HMRI Area into one major project. The area contains more than 600 properties and falls within the boundary of Back Rockfield Road, Walton Breck Road, Sleepers Hill and Saker Street. The Rockfield area contains 250 properties, mainly Victorian terraces, with a diverse mix of ownerships with around half are empty at this time.

Liverpool City Council, working with partners, plans to refurbish as many properties as possible, but some will have to be demolished, as part of the overall strategy to regenerate the area and drive up the quality of housing.

Newly-elected Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, said: "This is fantastic news for residents and is a major step forward for our housing plans for north Liverpool and will help deliver our pledge of 5,000 homes over the next four years.

"For far too long, the people living in the area have been living in limbo - in some cases surrounded by blight and dereliction and all the associated problems that brings . Now we are able to give them certainty about the future and deliver new and refurbished homes for the community."

(CD/GK)