Council set to move to next stage with regeneration delivery plans

Wirral Council’s comprehensive regeneration vision sets out to deliver more than 17,000 new homes and 6,000 new jobs over the next 20 years.

It is based on the Birkenhead 2040 Framework, a 20-year plan which outlines the most radical proposals for the town since the 1947 Town Plan dramatically changed the look of Birkenhead.

The aim now is to build on substantial Government funding successfully secured by the authority in the last few years to transform Birkenhead plus parts of Wallasey and New Ferry through regeneration to support and enhance local communities.

The work will support infrastructure improvements and town centre intervention, creating new neighbourhoods and homes and encouraging inward investment and job creation, with the aim of driving up economic growth and delivering improved prospects and prosperity for people of Wirral. 

To deliver this, and so deadlines to use the Government grants can be met, additional funding is being recommended to be put in place to help ensure the efficient delivery of the regeneration projects across the borough.

Members of Wirral Council’s Policy and Resources Committee are to be asked to consider a report which recommends £2.7 million be used to ensure the relevant expertise is in place over the next two years of the delivery phase. 

It would be paid from profits from the council’s joint venture the Wirral Growth Company and where possible, capitalisation of costs.

A report – Regeneration Delivery Resourcing – will be presented to members of the council’s Policy and Resources Committee on Wednesday March 20 outlining the recommendation.

The report says that regeneration of this scale requires a joined-up approach and as the council moves into delivery of the plans it is vital to have the appropriate resources identified and in place to deliver this programme of work upto March 2026, and beyond.

It says that the council’s ambitious plans for regenerating Birkenhead and the wider borough have progressed over the last year from developing the broader vision to the delivery phase. 

Officers within the Regeneration and Place directorate have undertaken a detailed review of the regeneration programme to accelerate delivery and the funding would support bringing in the necessary skills to plug in alongside existing council project managers within the delivery team, bridging any technical skills gaps in current projects as well as those coming forward.

The reports are available on the agenda for the meeting which is the council website.