Dozens of unoccupied homes in Liverpool are set to be brought back into full-time use for local residents following an investment from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).

Merebank Tower will be regenerated by preferred bidder for the Sefton Park Conservation Area scheme Fortis Developments, which will see the renovation of 78 apartments at the site.

Liverpool City Council’s cabinet member for housing councillor Ann O’Byrne commented: “It’s great news that plans are moving forward for this scheme. The appointment of Fortis Developments is an important step forward in the transformation of Merebank.

“This is an exciting scheme which, pending planning approval has the potential to make a real difference to the area, breathing new life into the tower block and providing a good mix of quality housing for local people.”

One, two and three-bedroom apartments are being renovated as part of the scheme, with the HCA executive director for the north-west Deborah McLaughlin describing the initiative as excellent news for the local community.

It will help to meet the growing demand for homes across the city and the project is now set to get underway in October and has been forecast to take approximately 12 months to complete.

Unoccupied homes present a real headache to local authorities and home buyers alike, as many areas of the country continue to suffer from a housing shortage. However, in many cases, there are properties throughout towns and cities that are not been utilised to the full.

Property owners across the UK could benefit from taking out unoccupied building insurance from GSI Insurance Services (Southern) Ltd, as this type of cover provides insurance for circumstances when homes are left without occupants for 30 days or more.

Expert advisers can help to provide the best level of cover at the lowest prices, with staff on hand to help individuals change their policy in the future to standard home insurance of buy to let should the need arise.