New plans put forward for Wirral Transport Museum

£4.5 million of Town Deal funding to help Birkenhead regeneration could be used to redevelop Wirral’s popular Transport Museum as part of wider plans for the Birkenhead waterfront area.

The move could help secure the future of the museum through a comprehensive redevelopment of the existing site to maximise the attraction, attract more visitors and create jobs.

The investment in the existing museum would be in place of previous proposals for a new Transport Shed attraction which is seen as undeliverable for the £6.35m budget in the timeframes required by the funding agreement.

Under the proposals being put to members of Wirral Council’s Economy, Regeneration and Housing Committee when it meets (July 16) £4.5 million of the original £6.3million allocated to the Transport Shed would instead be used for the Transport Museum’s expansion.

The remaining funds from the original allocation would then be made available to other regeneration projects.

In 2023 the Wirral Transport Museum was handed over to the local non-profit organisation Big Heritage CIC, who assumed responsibility for operating the facility and its running costs.

The museum includes a major collection of  historic buses, cars and trams as well as 1km of working tramway between its site and nearby Woodside ferry terminal. This proximity puts it in a key location for the proposed revamp through a major new masterplan for the Woodside site and surrounding area.

The report proposing the allocation of funds to the museum states “the new re-development of the museum will not occur in isolation but will be part of Birkenhead's broader regeneration initiative”.

It also follows recent public consultation on ambitious plans for Woodside and the surrounding area with construction work due to start in 2025 in redesigning Argyle Street and the area surrounding Woodside Ferry Terminal  to be more attractive with improved landscaping, more accessible walking and cycling spaces and better connection between the central Birkenhead retail area and the Waterfront. Further consultation on this specifically is due to be held during 2024.

The report on the proposal to award grant funding to Wirral Transport Museum will be presented to Wirral Council’s Economy, Regeneration and Housing Committee at the meeting on July 16.

Read the full report from the meeting agenda published the council website – scroll down to Item 7 – and watch the proceedings of the committee online live or as playback from the link on the agenda.