Down with the old and up with the new in New Ferry
The regeneration of New Ferry is continuing at pace with the demolitions necessary to facilitate the second phase of the new housing development being completed and a financial boost being confirmed for the planned public realm works.
Wirral Council and its contractor, J Freeley, have thanked New Ferry residents, businesses and visitors for their patience and understanding while demolition works in the area have been taking place in the area since January.
Work to take down the former Co-op supermarket, the derelict retail properties that backed onto Woodhead Street from New Chester Road and the former public toilets has now concluded and the cleared site is getting ready for the second and final part of the regeneration project, which will eventually deliver new housing in its place by 2027.
As well as taking down those properties, the demolition phase also saw the removal of a former commercial building that will allow for an improved and extended public car park to be developed off Grove Street.
The completion of the recent demolition work is another milestone in the regeneration of New Ferry, and it’s fantastic to see the real progress being made across multiple sites in the town to deliver high quality, affordable housing that is much needed in the area.
Making the heart of the town more attractive for traders, visitors and residents is a key priority, and the increased funding secured to deliver much-needed environmental and public realm improvements is going to deliver real change for the people who call New Ferry home.
Complementing the works being undertaken by Regenda to provide 77 affordable new homes in New Ferry, Wirral Council has significant public realm improvements planned which have been given a significant financial boost in the last few weeks.
Members of the Economy, Regeneration and Housing Committee voted in March to award nearly £3.5m of additional funding to the New Ferry plans – on top of the £2m already in place - to allow the scheme of works to improve Bebington Road to be delivered to the highest standards having previously been pared back to a funding shortfall.
The amended scheme incorporates improvements to address road safety concerns, anti-social behaviour issues and provides an enhanced and appealing environment which will benefit the town’s retail centre. These revisions to the scheme received strong support in a consultation exercise held in September 2022.
The preferred scheme includes high-quality public realm space with both hard and soft landscaping and traffic calming measures. It also includes low carbon, natural stone topped surface, which can be easily replaced and maintained, resulting in significant reductions in the carbon footprint of the scheme and future maintenance costs.
The demolition work and the additional funding being provided for the New Ferry public realm improvements has paved for the way for better, public car parking provision on Grove Street, with direct access to the businesses on Bebington Road.
Work on the car park is set to begin in July 2025. It will provide 64 spaces, including new spaces for Blue Badge holders and will go some way to offset the overall loss of car parking on Woodhead Street, which is where phase two of the regeneration programme will provide new residential properties.
