Supporters of a housing development on the site of Birkenhead's old House of Fraser say there is "progress" being made, in spite of recent silence about the project. The Grange Road location is now clear after demolition was carried out in 2024.
Wirral Council, which acquired the site, initially had plans to construct a new Birkenhead Market, alongside homes. In a contentious move, the plan to situate the market at this site was abandoned in 2023, with the council opting to relocate the market to the vacated Argos space on Princes Pavement.
Since that change, no detailed proposals for the housing project have been released, though suggestions for a forthcoming residential scheme were noted in a November 2024 update, envisaging homes arranged around a courtyard. A timeline issued in July 2024 outlined expectations for a planning application to be lodged in November 2024 and a possible green light by January 2025, with construction slated to commence in July.
The council had planned borrowing to fund the purchase but eventually used £2.1 million in development funding from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority instead. This allocation was tied to the stipulation that a minimum of 84 new homes must be delivered, with construction earmarked for March 2025.
Warnings had been issued to councillors as early as March 2023 that the development scheme had to progress, or risk losing funding. Now, with less than two months remaining before the March 2025 deadline, no planning application has yet been lodged, reports .
When approached regarding the potential retrieval of funds, the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority declined to provide a timeline for reviewing the situation. However, a spokesperson stated: "The Combined Authority will shortly have allocated its entire Brownfield Land Fund - almost £60m - and will exceed the minimum house building target, set by central Government, of 3,970 homes.
"Whilst work on the House of Fraser site will not start by March 2025, funding for the development is still in place and will bring forward housing for the area at the appropriate time. We continue to work with Wirral Council to find a solution that will deliver much needed housing on the site."
A spokesperson from Wirral Council and the Wirral Growth Company, a joint enterprise with developer Muse, said: "The design continues to progress, with an expectation that a planning application will be submitted over the coming months.
"Delivering homes that are fit for the future requires careful thought and planning, with all parties – Wirral Growth Company, Liverpool City Region, and Homes England – working in partnership to provide the people-focused regeneration we're committed to achieving."
Local businesses are also waiting to hear what the council's plans are for the area. The franchisee of the nearby Wimpy restaurant that he wanted to know what the future held for his popular business.
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