New Birkenhead offices will help town scale property peaks

A lettings campaign has launched for two new office sites in Birkenhead that will be the start of a “massive transformation” for the town centre.

The Grade A office buildings, costing £75m and funded by Canada Life, have been described as ‘best in class’ as potential tenants open discussions to secure their space in the development.

Both buildings will provide around 150,000 sq ft of space.

Mallory and Irvine are named after mountaineers from Wirral, George Mallory and Birkenhead-born Andrew Irvine, who were pioneers of a highly experimental oxygen equipment used in Everest expeditions in the 1920s.

All but one floor of Mallory will be occupied by Wirral Council for its new civic headquarters, with the top floor, extending to 19,377 sq ft, available to the market.

Lettings agent, Neil Kirkham of CBRE, says early interest in Irvine is very encouraging, with talks under way with several potential occupiers.

He said: “The office specification is as good as any asset across the regional market and the flexibility of the floorplates makes the building ideal for a wide range of occupiers.

“An airy and grand reception with security barriers sets exactly the right tone for businesses who want to project their brands whilst attracting and retaining talented people.

“The column-free floorplates allow occupiers complete flexibility in their workplace strategies and excellent BREEAM and platinum WiredScore ratings are just some of the accreditations that make Mallory and Irvine a best-in-class home for ambitious tenants.”

The two buildings, designed by architects AHR and constructed by Morgan Sindall, are the first of a series of major interventions that will transform central Birkenhead over the next decade, says Cllr Paul Stuart, leader of Wirral Council: “Birkenhead has an extraordinary history to draw upon, not least reflected in the names of these offices, Mallory and Irvine, and of course Alice Ker Square where they are located, named for the pioneering doctor and suffragette.

“These offices are just the start of what will be massive transformation in Birkenhead town centre, a key part of our ambitious regeneration plans set to deliver real and positive change for residents, businesses and visitors across the whole Left Bank, and I look forward to soon welcoming tenants to take office space here as we forge ahead towards an exciting future for the town and the whole of the borough.”

Neil Kirkham says the development’s location will enable occupiers to tap into both Wirral and Liverpool’s large populations, as well as their commercial cores.

“We’re a minute from Birkenhead bus station and just two minutes’ walk for Conway Park Merseyrail station, itself only two stops from Liverpool’s Pier Head.

“In addition, boasting more than 1,300 car spaces within a 200 metre walk, these offices offer all the benefits of a business park location in the heart of a town centre environment. Occupiers seeking connectivity to clients and workforce, with an eclectic mix of retail and food and beverage offerings, have it all, right on their doorstep.”

Quoting rents for the building are £18.50 per sq ft, with individual office floor plates from 12,506 to 19,377 sq ft. The opportunity to sub-divide floors exists, and there are ground floor retail/leisure/mixed-use units available in both buildings of 2,647 sq ft and 5,508 sq ft, respectively, says Kirkham.

“These are the only Grade A buildings being completed in the Liverpool City Region in 2023 and they offer the very latest in sustainability and wellness, which are very much top of the agenda from an occupier’s perspective,” he added.

In addition to the office accommodation on the upper floors, there are three ground floor units ranging from 2,647 to 7,318 sq ft which are suitable for a variety of uses, including retail, food and beverage offerings.

The development was undertaken by Wirral Growth Company and is one of a number of significant projects coming forward in central Birkenhead, including:

• The removal of the town’s flyovers and the regeneration of the area around Central Station
• The new 1,600-home Hind Street urban garden village
• Plans for the Dock Branch railway line, including a linear park and 1,000 home neighbourhood
• The 1,200 new homes around Cleveland Street
• The redevelopment of the town’s retail core