Wirral Council kick-starts process to find a developer to deliver £24m of affordable housing at two prime sites totalling 1.16 acres on the Mersey waterfront. Tony McDonough reports
Wirral Council has started a formal public procurement process to find a developer for two prime waterfront sites.
Located either side of Wallasey Town Hall and totalling 1.16 acres, the sites previously housed annexes to the town hall that were demolished in 2024. The council wants to see £24m of affordable homes built there. It currently holds the freehold interest.
An affordable home is one where the sale price or rent is no more than 80% of local property market rates.
Comprising 0.58 acres on the north annexe and 0.59 acres on the south annexe, both sites were used by the local authority for council staff but have not been occupied since 2020 and were subsequently declared surplus to requirements.
Wirral says the first pre-qualification stage of the procurement process to find a developer is anticipated to end on November 20, after which it will shortlist a maximum of three developers to the subsequent stages of the competition.
A final decision on the appointment of a developer is expected to be made in spring 2026. Lambert Smith Hampton and Bevan Brittan are assisting the council in its procurement process and pending planning approval, works could start on site in 2027.
Whichever developer secures the contract will be supported by £2.3m to deliver homes from the Government through the Brownfield Land Release Fund programme.
The One Public Estate programme is a partnership between the Office of Government Property in the Cabinet Office, the Local Government Association and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
It provides practical and technical support and funding for public sector partners to deliver ambitious property-led programmes in collaboration.
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Cllr Mark Skillicorn, chair of Wirral Council’s Economy, Regeneration and Housing Committee, said: “These are fantastic sites with so much potential, overlooking the promenade and with views across the river.
“The former town hall annexes had long since served their purpose and their demolition was very welcome, not least for creating this fantastic opportunity to bring much needed high quality, affordable new homes here.”
Click here to view the tender notice.