Wirral Regeneration Update March 2025
After years of planning, preparation and securing millions of pounds of investment, Wirral is now powering ahead, delivering one of the biggest regeneration programmes in the country. This will not only provide thousands of new homes and jobs in Birkenhead over the next 20 years but across our borough will see even more new residential development, business opportunities and ways to maximise the benefits of our amazing peninsula, which boasts some of the most beautiful beaches, countryside and incredible towns and villages.
Just a few examples illustrate the achievements so far – and the amazing next steps we are taking. This year we are seeing work start on a new urban village at Hind Street adjacent to Birkenhead town centre with a new park based on one of the world’s oldest railway lines. We are seeing the completion of landmark Millers Quay development at Wirral Waters where hundreds of people are already making their home, alongside Redbridge and East Float. We are seeing Birkenhead town centre being transformed: by the end of this year it will start to look very different, with much-needed upgrades to Grange Road and Charing Cross, Conway Street, Europa Boulevard and the new Market which are all moving forward bringing real momentum for real change that will help us in making the most of Wirral.
We are committed to creating a thriving, vibrant community that everyone can be proud of. Together, we are building a brighter future for Wirral.”
Leader of Wirral Council, Cllr Paul Stuart
Major regeneration projects are being updated and advanced, workers are on site and spades are in the ground as Wirral presses ahead with one of the UK’s largest regeneration programmes.
From Wirral Waters – itself one of the country’s most ambitious regeneration projects – to the redevelopment of Birkenhead town centre and the Woodside ferry area which boasts the most iconic views of the Mersey waterfront, and all along Wirral’s Mersey coast towns, major projects to remake Wirral for the future are advancing.
At Woodside a new pontoon for the world-famous Mersey Ferry is currently under construction, with further works due to shortly start on the Battle of the Atlantic tourist attraction, alongside the major redesign of the plaza area surrounding the iconic waterfront site as part of the Council’s wider Waterfront & Surrounds infrastructure project. These upgrades aim to tie this area more closely to the nearby Hamilton Square (the largest Victorian square outside London to be Grade I listed) and on to the town centre where massive changes including the already completed high quality office blocks at Mallory and Irvine and major upgrades to public spaces which are well underway.
The former gasworks site at Hind Street is being prepared for work to start on site this year to create a new urban village which will ultimately become fully connected to the town centre. The council has secured £52 million investment from Homes England and Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA) to support this project which will see hundreds of new homes delivered alongside the start of work on the unique Dock Branch Park. Many of the other regeneration projects are supported by the series of Government grants including Levelling Up fund, Town Deal and Future High Streets.
Cllr Tony Jones, Chair of Wirral Council’s Economy, Regeneration and Housing Committee, said:
Our regeneration programme stretches the length and width of Wirral and is focused on bringing real prosperity to every corner of this borough. We have been developing and refining the plans and of course, while there will be some bumps in the road such as the inflation in recent years meaning we can’t do everything we hoped for all at once, we have to be adaptable and agile in how and what we deliver. We are taking huge strides in bringing about the kind of real change which will help us improve the lives of the people already here, and bring even more residents and businesses to Wirral to appreciate the amazing place we are fortunate to live in.
This month members of the Economy, Regeneration and Housing Committee will be asked to approve some changes to the regeneration programme as part of a continuous process to monitor progress and make the most of the available funding. This will ensure projects can continue at maximum pace and to meet the requirements in place for receiving the grant funding. Where projects are found not to meet grant funding requirements they are reviewed and if necessary diverted to other schemes.
Some of the changes being proposed to the wider regeneration programme will mean additional funding for a major upgrade to New Ferry, transforming the area with new homes, improved high streets and a focus on bringing greater prosperity to the town. Similar ambitions for Liscard, which secured almost £11 million from the Levelling Up Fund, mean that grant is now proposed to be ring-fenced for Liscard along with seeking more flexibility in how and when we deliver it and to make sure it meets the aims agreed with the Government when the funding was approved.
In Birkenhead town centre a new electrical sub-station will mean power will be available for the new homes and businesses, as work gets underway on the initial construction work for the new Birkenhead Market and funding is secured to meet extra costs for the ongoing improvements to Charing Cross and Grange Road, plus Conway Street and Europa Boulevard.
The regeneration plans are also supported by a series of masterplans, many interlocking. These plans are not cast in stone but set development parameters and indicate what is possible at each location while also ensuring the areas have the necessary infrastructure as they are developed, ensuring a fully joined up approach, and also underlying the borough’s Local Plan – the definitive document which, when adopted, directs how Wirral can deliver thousands of new homes over the coming years.
Masterplans covering Birkenhead Town Centre and St Werburgh’s will be the latest to be put before councillors at the next meeting of Economy, Regeneration and Housing Committee. Masterplans for Cleveland Street, Northside, and Dock Branch Neighbourhoods have been approved, along with Woodside, New Brighton Marine Promenade and Wallasey Town Hall Quarter Masterplans.
The next meeting of Economy, Regeneration and Housing Committee (March 12) will also see councillors presented with a detailed update on the projects currently being pursued, with a rating system to indicate how they are progressing and which ones need additional resources to ensure they meet their targets. This update relates to Quarter 3 of the current year (specifically from October to December 2024).
Cllr Tony Jones said:
This report shows how we are moving forward with a massive range of interconnected regeneration projects and is an excellent example of the transparency we are bringing to this whole process and was welcomed by members when it was last brought to committee.
It also shows how complex this delivery is. We always knew that Wirral’s ambitious regeneration programme would not be a straightforward journey with some diversions and delays, but we are working hard to deliver the vital improvements this borough needs, to do so in a transparent and responsible manner, and to ensure the funding and investment are used in the best possible way. This year promises to be a key stage in this journey when we will see the hard work which has been done starting to make a real difference.
