Wirral Council looks set to shelve plans for a new Birkenhead market for the second time in less than two years with the latest £12m project now in doubt. Tony McDonough reports
Councillors in Wirral look set to shelve plans for a new market at the former Argos store in Birkenhead.
This will be the second time in two years plans for a new market in the town have been put on hold. Initial plans for a new facility on the former House of Fraser site on Grange Road were scrapped in December 2023.
Birkenhead has had a town centre market since 1835 with the current facility based within the Grange Precinct and this latest plan would have seen a new market created at Princes Pavement at a cost of £12m.
However, on Thursday, September 4, councillors on the Economy, Regeneration and Housing (ERH) Committee will consider a report which recommended the council bring a halt to the project despite having already spent £1.3m on it.
Wirral had lined up Seddon as the main contractor on the project and in April LBN revealed the firm was seeking local sub-contractors via a meet-the-buyer event.
In July members of the ERH committee and senior council officers met to consider the future options for the market and how best to support its traders in the meantime. Concerns were raised by members at the workshop about the location.
The report says that along with other town centres of similar size the retail core of Birkenhead town centre is reducing and the former Argos unit is on the periphery of that area. Councillors were to identify a more suitable location.
In light of this the report recommends that no further steps be taken on moving the Market to the former Argos site as it “no longer aligns with the overall plan and timescales for the regeneration of the town centre”.
Options now being considered include refurbishing the current 90,000 sq ft facility, closure with no replacement, relocation to the Pyramids Shopping Centre or Grange Precinct to a new build at a different location.
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In the build up to the Christmas period the report recommends a series of temporary craft markets and festive activities will be held at the existing outdoor market hall and the town centre.
The aim of these will be to help increase footfall and support existing market traders and town centre businesses during the festive period.