The "shocking" preliminary findings of an independent probe into regeneration works in Birkenhead have been unveiled, revealing that costs have doubled. The situation has been deemed unacceptable by Wirral's new council leader, Cllr Paula Basnett, who stated the council "will take stock and get a proper grip of what is going on and establish where we can go from here."
Regeneration efforts are currently underway across Birkenhead, with work progressing on the main high street on Grange Road, Charing Cross, Conway Street, and Europa Boulevard. However, a recent report suggested the scheme could be more than six months behind schedule, and the council has now confirmed that over half of the project still needs to be completed.
New paving, street furniture, transport routes, and other significant changes are being implemented in hopes that the revamped look will aid in the regeneration of the struggling town centre and attract more shoppers. However, the works carried out have resulted in traffic delays, and businesses have reported a decrease in footfall as a consequence.
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The cost of the scheme is now estimated at £24m, which includes an anticipated £3m in management fees. The project initially commenced with a budget of £11.9m.
This significant overspend was exposed after the borough's Liberal Democrats urged the local authority to provide clear explanations about the current situation. Cllr Stuart Kelly, a member of the council's audit committee which scrutinises the local authority, stated that the council needed "to get everything out into the open as soon as possible."
Upon her election in May, Cllr Basnett called for a review of the council's regeneration projects, arguing that too many initiatives were stagnating. She asserted this would "provide certainty, set realistic timelines, and ensure local residents receive the benefits" promising "no more delays and no more excuses".
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), Cllr Basnett said: "It was clear from what businesses and residents were saying that the works [in Birkenhead] needed to be urgently reviewed. The early results are shocking, with indications that the project is going to take even longer than we were told, and costs spiralling.
"This is completely unacceptable, and further work will be undertaken to consider the information revealed by the initial audit findings. As a Council we will take stock and get a proper grip of what is going on and establish where we can go from here.
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"Strong leadership demands that difficult decisions are faced up to; being leader of the council means working with all parties and partners to navigate this authority through what will be a tough period.
"There will be no excuses – we will be straight with the people of Wirral and will turn this situation around to begin ensuring this council works for residents, businesses and everyone with a stake in this borough's future."
Liberal Democrat Cllr Stuart Kelly told the LDRS: "It's been clear to those of us observing from outside the loop that this scheme has been off track for a while with scant evidence of works progressing and road closures with nothing being done, and only recently it was revealed timescales and I assume budgets are slipping."
The council announced that a report detailing the challenges faced by the regeneration initiative will be presented to the Policy and Resources committee on July 23. It is understood that the report attributes the delays to late design information, unforeseen utilities issues, and complications related to construction depth.
A March report, which came at a time when councillors were considering withdrawing funds from various regeneration projects, indicated a £5m shortfall in the town centre project budget for March 2024 compared to the initial £11.9m budget.
According to the report from March 2025, £4m was reallocated from the new Birkenhead Market plans to the town centre development. The town centre project later received an additional £750,000, which the council attributed to "unexpected ground conditions".
A report highlighted that concrete slabs were missing in some areas and utilities were located closer to the surface than initially expected. Additional expenses were attributed to the rise in the National Minimum Wage.
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Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Cllr Phil Gilchrist, commented: "Key parts of the jigsaw are now in place, it is vital that the momentum picks up and is not lost," and added: "I do not want time wasted when there is a job to be done."
Gilchrist mentioned that senior members are aware of the ongoing efforts, but expressed his concern about the need to make progress in revitalising the town. Referring to the substantial government grants received by the council, he emphasised the importance of utilising the funds effectively, stating: "If we can make good use of it, this is our last chance where people will have some faith that we can do something in Birkenhead."