Economy, Regeneration and Housing Committee Update

Wirral Council’s Economy, Regeneration and Housing Committee met at Wallasey town hall on Monday September 16.

The full agenda for this committee meeting is available on the council website. The meeting is also webcast and can be viewed online.

Items on the agenda included:

Regeneration Programme Highlight Report – read the full report here 

& read the appendix here

This report was developed following an agreement to provide regular monitoring reports to the Economy, Regeneration & Committee in February 2024. The report provides a clear snapshot of the current progress on the council’s major regeneration projects.

The committee was told there are currently 44 active projects in delivery in the Regeneration Programme which “gives an idea of the extent of the work programme we are pressing on with, with 32 of these active projects ‘in delivery’, while the remaining 12 are described as ‘in pipeline.’ 

It was also highlighted that the council has been successful in securing more than £98m for regeneration projects, this figure does not include the investment Peel has secured for the Wirral Waters developments; the investment in infrastructure for Hind Street of which we are expecting an outcome from Homes England and the Combined Authority very soon; or the £15m for delivering Dock Branch Park which has been referred to recently  in the media. 

A number of questions from councillors were responded to by officers regarding the contents of the Regeneration Programme Highlight Report.

Some of the questions included:

Cllr Mark Skillicorn asked about the rating system used in the report. The full question and answer can be seen on the council's webcast, and an edited version can be viewed below. 

Cllr Helen Raymond asked about House of Fraser and Hind Street progress. The full question and answer can be seen on the council's webcast – View webcast, with an edited version to view below:

Cllr Andrew Gardner asked for information about transport plans. The full question and answer can be seen on the council's webcast – View webcast, with an edited version to view below:

Cllr Ed Lamb requested more information about Dock Branch Park. The full question and answer can be seen on the council's webcast – View webcast, with an edited version to view below:

Cllr Jones ended the discussion by thanking officers for their work on the projects, which can be viewed on the webcast here.

The report was noted by councillors.

Egerton Village – read the full report here

The Egerton Village development is expected to bring forward 14,672 sq. ft. of new mixed use commercial floorspace adjacent to the Hythe office building on Tower Road on current brownfield land. It is intended to serve existing and new businesses, residents and visitors by providing much needed new amenity space including an appropriate convenience retail, a restaurant and hospitality offer, as well as providing studio and workspace accommodation in the area. Such facilities will enhance the neighbourhood offer for businesses, students and the emerging residential community. It will also complement developments such as the nearby Millers Quay residential scheme and has been designed to create a new semi-public, semi-covered ‘square’ at its heart that can be used for events and other activities

This report recommended the council move forward with the Egerton Village project, working with Starship Regeneration Egerton Village Limited to progress the development which will support the priorities of the Birkenhead 2040 Framework, the Council Plan and the Local Plan.

The Economy, Regeneration and Housing Committee was recommended to:

1. authorise the Director of Regeneration and Place in consultation with the Director of Finance to proceed with a  novation  of the  grant agreement  relating to  the Egerton Village project between the Council  and  Peel L&P Investments and Property Limited  (with  Peel L&P Holdings (UK) Ltd  acting as guarantor)  to Starship Regeneration Egerton Village Limited subject to any remaining pre-conditions for novation, as resolved by this Committee on 22 January 2024, being satisfied, and; 
2. authorise the Director of Law and Corporate Services to agree and finalise the Deed of Novation of the Grant Agreement  with the relevant parties, subject to ‘step in’ rights described in para 3.3 of Appendix 1 being incorporated but without a guarantee from Peel L&P Holdings (UK) Ltd as set out in paragraph 3.4 of Appendix 1.

These were agreed unanimously by the committee.