A multi-million pound village at Wirral Waters complete with shops and arts and events spaces is a step closer to becoming a reality after it was approved by the council.
Proposals for Egerton Village have this week been given the green light by the local authority, and the £4m development will be located at Four Bridges - adjacent to Wirral Metropolitan College.
It will take "pride of place" at the heart of Peel Land and Ports' Wirral Waters, providing local amenities and facilities for the business and communities, as well as an arts hub and waterside events space.
According to Peel, it submitted the planning application to the council last year and, under delegated powers, the planning department have the go-ahead.
Richard Mawdsley, director of development at Peel L&P, said: “Egerton Village is a really important development at Wirral Waters as it will help provide some of the facilities and amenities that are missing but that lie at the heart of a regeneration project. It has been designed to serve new and existing residents, students and local businesses as well as visitors. Securing planning is a positive step forward.”
Egerton Village will also be in touching distance of the proposed new £7.5m No 1 Tower Road South office block at Tower Road, and the proposed new Maritime Knowledge Hub that is focused on the hydraulic tower building.
This project cluster is close to the residential developments emerging along the Northbank element of Wirral Waters.
According to Peel, Egerton Village will be a "creative and community hub for visitors, students, businesses and residents".
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It will comprise of a dockside restaurant and bistro, small independent retail units, artists’ studios, managed workspace and even a large public events space. The waterside village has been designed by OMI Architects, and its design is a response to the Wirral "being a series of villages", the site’s quayside location on the docks, and its views across to the River Mersey and Liverpool.
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It will also be modularly constructed, meaning there will be work experience opportunities for construction students at Wirral Metropolitan College.
Peel also said Egerton Village will benefit from Wirral Waters Investment Funds.
Because Wirral Waters is part of the Mersey Waters Enterprise Zone, the local authority can retain 100% of new business rates generated from tenants, but on the condition that the rates are then reinvested back into the Enterprise Zone to create jobs and additional rates income.
This is "innovative but necessary" as it addresses the acute market failure of the area plus it creates a recyclable fund which will benefit the area, the firm said.
Eden Planning acted for Peel L&P in securing consent for this project.
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Nick Berry, Director of OMI Architects said: “The approval of the Egerton Village proposal is a positive milestone in the delivery of what will become the natural ‘hub’ for leisure activities within Peel L&Ps wider Wirral Waters vision.
"Egerton Village will provide an opportunity for local businesses to contribute to this unique waterside environment, creating a new and exciting place for workers, residents, artists and visitors to enjoy. A lot of the hard work behind the scenes at Wirral Waters is now starting to pay off. It’s been difficult - but we now have a line of sight for the delivery of a number of inter-related projects.”
Wirral Council's cabinet member for Jobs and Growth, Cllr Tony Jones, said: “There is a real momentum building at Wirral Waters which is seeing more and more significant steps forward.
"The confidence this is building up cannot be over-estimated and shows how important Wirral is becoming as a place to invest and the opportunities it offers. This latest announcement is continuing proof that this is an exciting time for the Wirral.”