Having initially struggled to find commercial tenants for its £75m Birkenhead office complex and being on the hook for £2m in rental payments, Wirral Council says it is moving closer to filling the space. Tony McDonough reports
Wirral Council says it is moving closer to letting office space in both the Mallory and Irvine buildings in Birkenhead town centre, easing the cost pressure on the authority.
Comprising almost 150,000 sq ft of office space, Mallory and Irvine were completed by Wirral Growth Company in 2023 and funded by Canada Life to the tune of £75m. This is a 50:50 partnership between Wirral Council and Muse.
Wirral Council has occupied 65,447 sq ft of Mallory. However, commercial property agents have struggled to find tenants for the remaining space in Mallory and the whole of Irvine.
To get the development over the line Wirral offered Canada Life a rental guarantee which puts the council on the hook for the rent on both buildings, totalling more than £2m a year, unless paying occupiers can be found.
However, approval has now been given for a second new tenant to move in. Work is already under way to prepare vacant areas of both Mallory and Irvine to allow the new tenants to move into the offices in the town centre.
Immediately following their construction the council occupied part of the ground floor plus the first, second and third floors of the Mallory Building and marketed the remaining vacant space in it and neighbouring Irvine.
Terms were approved by the council chief executive in March 2026 for a tenant to take the vacant third and fourth floors of Irvine Building, and that letting is nearing legal commitment.
And letting agents have now agreed terms with a second new tenant for a lease of part of the ground, plus first and second floors of Mallory Building, as well as car parking spaces which will be in the Conway Street multi storey car park.
With the council also occupying the remaining space in both Mallory and Irvine buildings it will mean both office blocks are fully let.
Leader of the council, Paula Basnett, said: “As we continue to transform Birkenhead, it is vital that developments such as Mallory and Irvine fulfil their potential as catalysts for growth and investment.
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“Welcoming a new tenant will bring more people into the town centre, support local businesses and further establish Birkenhead as an attractive location for employers looking for high-quality office space. This is exactly the kind of momentum we want to see as we deliver our wider regeneration ambitions.
“Bringing more workers into the heart of Birkenhead will help increase footfall for local businesses and strengthen the town centre economy, while making the most effective use of our office accommodation.”