A plan to build 1,500 new homes in the heart of Birkenhead has reached a significant 'milestone' as key agreements have been finalised to initiate the development. The Hind Street Urban Village, a major regeneration project proposed by Wirral Council, is set to transform a large site adjacent to Birkenhead Central station over the next 10 to 15 years.
The ambitious scheme includes a new school, commercial space, and the demolition of two Mersey Tunnel flyovers. The first phase of the project will deliver 600 homes, with work expected to commence next year.
The development, hailed as a "landmark" by Wirral Council, will contribute significantly to plans for 14,400 homes across the Wirral over the next two decades. The council described it as a model of urban living, boasting excellent connectivity to Liverpool City Centre via nearby Birkenhead Central and Green Lane Station, as well as quality open spaces and active travel routes.
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During a policy and resources committee meeting on October 2, councillors approved a £1.8m agreement with Ion Property Developments to manage the project, a £36m contract with John Sisk and Son to ready the site for development, and a £2.6m agreement with Cadent to relocate gasworks on the site. These costs are anticipated to be offset by over £50m in funding from the government and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.
Liverpool-based development firm Ion has engaged in several high-profile regeneration projects such as the prominent £60m Marine Point development, the substantial £100m Wolverhampton Interchange project, and significant £40m investments near Liverpool Lime Street station. As a committed partner with the local authorities on their latest venture, Ion's advancement was commended by Birkenhead's councillor Pat Cleary who referred to it as "a milestone in the delivery of this project" and highlighted its tremendous importance for the area, .
The chair of the regeneration committee, Cllr Tony Jones, praised the council staff for their exceptional efforts pushing the "exciting" scheme to the present point, expressing enthusiastic anticipation: "It's something we can all look forward to. It's something that I will be absolutely cock-a-hoop about when the first residents move in."
However, the venture still faces some challenges, such as securing a significant £28m allocation from Homes England. Wirral Council remains optimistic as no declaration has yet been made, but they anticipate a positive preliminary decision to allocate the funding.
The local authority is facing a series of challenges, including obtaining planning permission and finalising the acquisition of the Dock Branch trainline to facilitate the creation of a new £15m park. The ambitious green space is slated to stretch from Wirral Waters to Green Lane train station.
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Council members are anticipated to review planning approvals and land purchases for the Dock Branch park later this year. This comes after several significant advancements for the project, which has seen an expenditure of £2.8m to date, as reported.
The scheme has also received a financial boost with a £22m grant from the city region. In August, the council agreed to a £395,000 contract with Ion to support the planning application and business case.
The cost of relocating the gas works at the site is pegged at approximately £5.5m, with Wirral Council and Cadent needing to exchange various land parcels to proceed. An agreement with Cadent could tie the council to spend £2.6m- though these expenses are set to be offset by grants, and the council says there have been "positive discussions" about early fund releases.
Land acquisitions form another costly hurdle, estimated at around £13m in total. The local authority has already secured £2.6m worth of land, with hopes that a portion of the costs will be defrayed by additional grant funding.
Despite the project receiving unanimous support from all parties, a report presented to the committee underscored that it commits the council to a "very significant level" of expenditure for initial groundwork and staff resources, even if the former is covered by external funding. It was initially hoped that government grant funding could offset some of the council's staffing costs, but this could have resulted in the project being referred to the treasury for further scrutiny and approval, potentially jeopardising funding for the entire project.
Despite these high costs, Wirral Council maintains that the development will provide "a major boost to the local economy with effectively a new community being created right on the edge of the town centre on a site which currently delivers no economic benefit to the area."
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