£55m triple housing scheme for Wirral Waters announced

Three major housing projects bringing more than 1,000 to Wirral Waters have been announced at the international property event MIPIM taking place this week at Cannes in Fance.

Peel Land and Property is announcing the transformation of more than 500 acres of Birkenhead docklands into an “internationally recognisable destination”.

The three projects will include the first ever joint venture between Peel and Urban Splash, two of the North West’s biggest businesses. The £55m development will comprise of 347 modular homes on the dockside site.

In addition, Peel will announce a partnership with Belong Villages to bring a specialist dementia care village to Wirral Waters, comprising a range of amenities, including bistro, gym and hair salon; 34 one and two-bedroom apartments, which will be available to rent or buy; plus, six households where 24-hour support is provided for up to 12 residents in each.

Meanwhile, Wirral Waters One, a £90m scheme for 500 apartments, has been rubber-stamped by the cabinet of Wirral Council so that building work can now officially get underway.

Wirral Waters One also includes a £100,000 investment for community activities by The Legacy Foundation.

Wirral Waters is the biggest regeneration project in the UK and received the largest planning permission ever granted in Great Britain in 2012.

Since then, Peel has undertaken activity behind the scenes to ready the water-front site for a range of projects that will create jobs, training and housing over the coming years.

The company has carried out millions of pounds of remediation work in the Wirral Waters area, demolishing more than 20 acres of derelict buildings, installing new energy infrastructure and drainage and improving the environment with over 1,500 newly-planted trees.

Once complete, Wirral Waters will deliver up to 20 million sq ft of floor space – more than the equivalent of 300 football pitches – including four million sq ft of office space, up to 13,000 residential units and a million sq ft of industrial space at MEA Park.

Today’s announcement is being made at MIPIM by Richard Mawdsley, director of development at Peel Land and Property.

Peel and Wirral Waters are part of the Liverpool City Region’s delegation to the event in Cannes.

Mawdesley said: “Wirral Waters is the biggest and most exciting regeneration project currently on British soil and we are immensely proud to be announcing these three major housing schemes today at MIPIM.

“Brownfield regeneration projects, like Wirral Waters, are crucial in tackling the current UK housing crisis as they take the pressure off our greenbelts.

“From over 500 acres of disused docklands, we will create an internationally recognised destination where innovation, sustainability and industry thrive; where over 20,000 permanent new jobs emerge; where wide open spaces meet world-class culture; and global companies trade alongside new waterfront housing.

“These projects have been assisted by the announcement from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government of a £6m HIF (Housing Infrastructure Fund) allocation to Wirral Waters.

“Birkenhead will now begin to see the culmination of the past five years’ preparations as we kick start our first three major housing schemes. But this is just the beginning. Over the next three years, £200m of investment is expected to take place on Wirral Waters and we’re looking forward to making further announcements soon.”

Nick Walkley, chief executive of Homes England, said: “It is great to see how our partners are using Government funding to significantly increase build rates on key schemes.

“The Housing Infrastructure Fund is helping unlock strategic sites across the country for development and Wirral Waters is an excellent example of this. Peel are providing a mix of house types to ensure that the development will meet the needs of local people.”

The metro mayor of Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram, who is leading the Liverpool delegation at MIPIM, is backing the project and excited about this coming phase of delivery.

He said: “Housing is a critical issue for the Liverpool City Region, which is why we have set a target of 25,000 new homes before 2022.

“We also want this city region to be an exemplar for innovation, sustainability and design excellence. As the region’s biggest regeneration project, Wirral Waters will play a major part and we are delighted to see progress on these important housing schemes.”