Have your say on the future of Seacombe and New Brighton

People who live, work and visit New Brighton and Seacombe still have time to say how they think these areas can be helped to improve in the coming years.

The consultation on developing blueprints to guide the future development of the two towns is on until November 25.

It follows the opportunity for visitors to try out a new immersive virtual reality (VR) experience which took place over two days at the Floral Pavilion. The VR saw 186 people don special VR goggles and get a glimpse of a possible future for the towns and a sense of how New Brighton and Seacombe could change over the next decade.

These unique public consultation events used customised 3D modelling – and were based on suggestions from local young people whose ideas about how the towns could develop in coming years were built into the 3D model to form part of the experience.

The aim was to stimulate ideas and suggestions about reimagining New Brighton and Seacombe and making the most of their potential and feed into the wider consultation on the future of two towns, finding out what those who live, work, and visit them want to see there in the coming years.

Chair of Wirral Council’s Economy, Regeneration and Housing Committee, Cllr Tony Jones, said: “It was an unusual experience and great fun. I especially enjoyed seeing some of the ideas young people had come up with. Hopefully this will help us get more people involved in this and other consultations in the future – being able to look around and be immersed in it makes all the difference in trying to work out what you like and what you’re not sure about.”

Cllr Jones also urged people who had not been able to try the VR to log on to the HaveYourSay website where they will be able to see some images and video as well as tell us what they want to see in Seacombe and New Brighton to help both areas fulfil their potential.

The two towns have been identified as priority areas for regeneration in the draft Local Plan because of their potential as a high-quality visitor destination, and opportunities to create sustainable neighbourhoods for existing and new residents.

New Brighton and Seacombe form part of a wider transformational regeneration programme along the ‘Left Bank’ of the River Mersey, with a particular focus on the creation of a sustainable, waterfront urban garden community in Birkenhead and parts of Seacombe, underpinned by the Birkenhead 2040 Framework and Local Plan.

The proposed Local Plan would help deliver the new housing needed for the borough while also protecting valued designated green spaces. BDP, supported by AspinallVerdi and Curtins, have been commissioned to work with local stakeholders to produce a Neighbourhood Framework for New Brighton, to provide an ambitious vision to drive forward and guide the sustainable economic growth and renewal of New Brighton over the next 15 years.

For Seacombe, the Council has appointed HLP Architects and are working in partnership with Magenta Living Housing Association to develop a clear framework to improve living conditions, health outcomes and employment prospects for the residents of this area.

Find out more about the consultation for New Brighton

Find out more about the consultation for Seacombe

The consultation surveys will be available to be completed until on 25 November.