Council agrees funding for multimillion-pound programme of regeneration

Wirral Council has agreed to allocate millions of pounds for a series of major projects to revamp key areas of the borough.

From the waterfront at Woodside, Birkenhead town centre, Liscard and New Ferry, the cash will help boost these areas as part of the council’s £150m-plus regeneration programme.

This significant injection of funding aims to bring about much needed new homes, attract investment for employment and boost the long term prosperity of the borough.

Members of Wirral Council’s economy, regeneration and housing committee approved a series of reports at their meeting in Wallasey town hall this week to support a number of projects.

They include a review of projects in the simplification pathfinder programme which will see:

• Focusing more resources – £3.4m, bringing the total amount to £5,556,994 – on New Ferry where regeneration work is already under way to deliver dozens of new homes and improved public spaces
• A further £2m allocated to Birkenhead Market which is expected to be mostly complete by March 2026, with final works leading up to a planned opening in July of that year
• Allocate £1.5m to Big Heritage CIC for the delivery of the renovation of Wirral Transport Museum, dependent on the submission of a revised business case
• Additional £750,000 to the Charing Cross and Grange Road, Conway and Europa Boulevard project

Councillors also agreed to plans to submit to Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government an application to give more time to complete the Woodside Waterfront Infrastructure and New Ferry projects.

And they approved plans to ringfence funding levelling up funds of £10,788,000 awarded by the Government in November 2023, for the renewal of Liscard Town Centre.

Since the initial announcement the council and government have been working to ensure this project remains deliverable and has now been agreed with delivery, by exception, up to March 2028.

Now the decision on the Liscard funding has been agreed the work has been able to start again.

This will now be put to the policy and resources committee to consider when it meets on March 19, and, if agreed, public consultation on initial designs is expected later this year.

Leader of Wirral Council, Cllr Paul Stuart, said: “This is about ensuring we are on the right track to deliver on what is one of the largest and most complex regeneration programmes in the country.

“We have worked closely with our partners and government, who have given us the flexibility in the use of the funding needed to make sure we can be completely focused on ensuring the people of Wirral receive the very best value for money.”

He added: “These projects tie in with the wider regeneration already under way, from the recently started work at Hind Street to bring about a new urban village adjacent to the town centre, Wirral Waters where Millers Quay is now one of the most eye-catching developments anywhere in the city region, and all along the east side of the borough where real change is happening.

“This is about people-led regeneration, re-making Wirral to tackle inequalities and make sure residents across Wirral have the best chances.”