Developer appointed for prime sites overlooking River Mersey
A developer has been appointed to build new affordable homes on the sites of the former annexes to Wallasey town hall.
Occupying key locations overlooking the River Mersey the sites were formerly office space for Wirral Council staff but not been occupied since 2020 and were declared surplus to requirements by the authority.
The former annexe buildings were demolished in 2024 to make way for high quality, affordable new homes for the area and are key locations with the Wallasey Town Hall Quarter Masterplan.
The Wallasey Town Hall Quarter had been previously identified by the council as a priority area in need of regeneration.
Wirral Council had sought a developer able to bring the skills, experience and expertise needed to deliver affordable housing at pace and in line with local housing needs. The indicative plans included within the Masterplan for the sites show buildings up to four storeys, but this will be subject to design and planning.
Following a formal public procurement exercise to select a developer, Countryside Properties (UK) Ltd has now been chosen to take up and advance the sites. The next steps will include final designs, community consultation and bringing forward the development, subject to the appropriate planning consents.
Leader of Wirral Council, Cllr Paula Basnett, said:
This development represents a major opportunity to bring new life into a key part of our borough and deliver the high quality affordable homes local people desperately need.
Across Wirral, demand for affordable housing continues to grow, particularly for affordable rented homes, with hundreds of families and residents currently in urgent housing need. That is why developments like this matter so much.
The former annexes had reached the end of their life, but rather than leaving these sites behind, we are unlocking their potential and turning them into modern homes for Wirral residents.
This is about regeneration with purpose, creating homes, supporting communities and investing in the future of our borough.
The redevelopment of the sites is being supported by £2.3m to deliver 75 homes from HM Government, through the Brownfield Land Release Fund (BLRF2) programme.
The One Public Estate programme is a partnership between the Office of Government Property in the Cabinet Office, the Local Government Association and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. It provides practical and technical support and funding for public sector partners to deliver ambitious property-led programmes in collaboration.
More details about the decision are available at: Decision - Appointment of a developer and disposal of the sites of the former Annexes to Wallasey Town Hall | Wirral Council
