Demolition works underway in New Ferry
Work on the final phase of the New Ferry regeneration is now underway with the demolition of a vacant property on Grove Street and further demolitions set to take place on New Chester Road and Woodhead Street.
The demolition specialist J Freeley has been appointed by Wirral Council to carry out the 14-week programme, which started on January 6th 2025.
This saw a former commercial building on Grove Street, which contained a swimming pool and associated plant, being taken down.
That empty site is now being cleared, levelled and secured with fencing ahead of the council’s highway team starting work to turn it into public car parking, with more than 50 new spaces being created, including provision for Blue Badge holders.
After finishing at Grove Street, the demolition contractors are set to move onto New Chester Road. Traffic management arrangements are being finalised and asbestos will be safely removed prior to work beginning to demolish the buildings, which include the former Co-op store and premises from 104-124 New Chester Road. All the properties have been vacant for several years.
The final part of the programme will see the removal of the former public toilets on the Woodhead Street car park.
It’s great to see work progressing so well on the first phase of the New Ferry regeneration while at the same time preparations are being made for the second and last phase.
The demolition of the vacant building on Grove Street allows the council to create more parking spaces there even as the rest of the work continues, while the removal of the row of empty shops facing New Chester Road will take away a real blight on the area, to be replaced by much-needed new housing in the coming months.
For safety reasons, there will need to be traffic management arrangements in place while the demolition work is happening, particularly when contractors are working on New Chester Road; some inconvenience to residents and people travelling through New Ferry will be unavoidable at that time.
Contrary to some local concerns, however, access to the Woodhead Street car park will be maintained throughout the demolition phase of this scheme.
