Borough Yard: next steps for major housing plan in Birkenhead
One of the most significant new housing developments in Wirral could move a step closer as councillors meet to consider its future.
Borough Yard, formerly known as Hind Street Urban Village, is set to deliver up to 1,600 new homes on land close to Birkenhead town centre.
The former gasworks site, located between Birkenhead Central and Green Lane railway stations, has already secured around £65 million in funding from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Homes England, including £5 million from Wirral Council.
Councillors had approved initial preparatory work on the site in January 2025 and now, members of Wirral Council's Policy and Resources (P&R) Committee will be asked to give the green light to the next stage of enabling works needed to prepare the land for development. (Details of the P&R meeting are available at: Agenda for Policy and Resources Committee on Wednesday, 18th November 2026, 6.00 p.m. | Wirral Council)
A report to the committee recommends progressing plans with contractor John Sisk & Son and developer Ion Property Developments. The next phase would include further site remediation and engineering works, the installation of a United Utilities attenuation tank and relocation of Cadent gas infrastructure.
Highway improvements through the Kings Square Link scheme and work on the Dock Branch South linear park are planned to come forward using funding from future Transport for City Region (TCR) allocations.
The Borough Yard development is intended to tie into the wider Birkenhead programme which has seen the announcement that the recently built Birkenhead offices Mallory and Irvine are set to be fully let as well as the development of the new Birkenhead Market in the heart of the town centre as efforts move forward to support Birkenhead and increase footfall.
Other proposals also included the Dock Branch Park route, including north and south sections, creating a green route across Birkenhead, although further work will be needed to assess the condition and future liabilities of several road bridges on the northern section of the route.
Dock Branch North remains a long-term regeneration opportunity, but the extended timetable for that work means funding originally allocated to it could instead be used to help deliver essential flood protection measures for the Borough Yard development.
The committee will also be asked to note the opportunity to use Liverpool City Region Combined Authority transport funding between 2027 and 2032 to support the Kings Square Link and Dock Branch South elements of the project.
Details of these linked schemes are set out in separate reports being presented to the Policy and Resources Committee: Borough Yard Primary Enabling Works and Liverpool City Region Combined Authority – Transport for the City Regions Capital Funding Allocation. The full agenda for the Policy and Resources Committee is on the council website at: Agenda for Policy and Resources Committee on Wednesday, 18th November 2026, 6.00 p.m. | Wirral Council
