Birkenhead’s new garden village moves forward
Development of a former gasworks to provide hundreds of new homes close to Birkenhead town centre has taken a significant step forward.
Wirral Council and developers ION Property Developments Ltd have now signed a Master Development Agreement (MDA) for the new urban village at Hind Street.
The MDA is a comprehensive legal document that outlines the overall framework for pushing ahead with the development, which will be delivered through several phases over the next 10-15 years.
The project is a key part of Wirral’s ambitious, brownfield-first regeneration programme, which is designed to deliver growth through innovative development and partnerships at sites across the borough.
Homes England, the government’s housing and regeneration agency, has agreed a £29.8 million investment in the project, with £22.4 million from the LCRCA bringing the investment to just over £52 million to fund the vital infrastructure works needed to unlock the site and deliver the first 633 homes.
Work has already begun on the site, where contractor John Sisk & Son were appointed to undertake surveys and design work as well as vegetation clearance, making way for the remediation and infrastructure works to start later in the year.
These initial preparatory works and the main contract to address the remediation and provide the new infrastructure are expected to take around two years, ahead of construction on the first new homes getting underway.
The Hind Street project is being delivered by Wirral Council in partnership with developers ION Property Developments Ltd, with ION initially responsible for managing the delivery of the remediation and infrastructure works on the Council’s behalf. Legal advice from Trowers & Hamlins and strategic input from CBRE and Radics Consulting has now helped move the project on a stage.
Following this, ION will lead on delivering the housing, with 633 new homes being delivered on the remediated site over the next few years.
A further update on the final Business Plan, which is a requirement of the Master Development Agreement (MDA), will be brought to a future Committee meeting before the housing delivery phase begins.
Once the initial phase has been delivered, the project will then focus on the northern part of the site to deliver further housing. Hind Street Urban Village project will see the development of around 1,600 new homes in total over the next 10 to 15 years.
Leader of Wirral Council, Cllr Paula Basnett, said:
This is more than just a housing development, it is the beginning of a new chapter for Birkenhead. The Hind Street Urban Village will transform a long-neglected site into a thriving new neighbourhood, right at the heart of our borough. It symbolises the best of our brownfield first approach: bold, sustainable regeneration that puts people and place first.
With hundreds of high-quality homes, green spaces, and a design shaped around community life, this development will set a new standard for urban living in Wirral. Signing this agreement is a huge step forward, I’m excited to see this new community come to life as we build a better future together.
Steve Parry, managing director at ION Developments, said:
We have been committed to helping Wirral Council bring forward the Hind Street project for a number of years now, so it is great to reach this formal next stage and sign the agreement.
Our project team has a clear and deliverable plan for the scheme and we are excited to see the site remediation and infrastructure works gather pace before commencing with the housing construction.
The local community is central to what we are trying to achieve at Hind Street, so we also look forward to working with our neighbours and local stakeholders and welcoming them in to see the progress of the works at the appropriate moments during the development.”
