Multi-million pound plans to create a new market in Birkenhead have failed twice with the former House of Fraser and Argos stores considered and then dropped – will the latest plan be third-time lucky? Tony McDonough reports
Wirral Council is to “move forward at pace” to develop plans to create a new Birkenhead Market in the former TJ Hughes store in the town centre.
Councillors on the authority’s Economy, Regeneration and Housing Committee have given the go-ahead for the project at the unit located in the Pyramids shopping centre. TJ Hughes closed the store in 2021.
However, both market traders and the public may be tempted to say “great, but we’ll believe it when we see it” after two previous plans to create a new market were shelved in the last two years.
Plans for a new facility in the House of Fraser site on Grange Road were scrapped in December 2023. And, in the last few weeks, councillors have abandoned a £12m plan for a market in the former Argos outlet, despite having already spent £1.3m on it.
Traders are currently based in a Victorian building in Grange Precinct where it has been since 1977. However, the council is keen to demolish this site to make way for new development.
As well as the TJs plan, council officers are also considering options for relocating some traders into individual retail units within the Grange Precinct where this is the preference for their particular business.
Under the plans, and subject to agreed terms and conditions, traders would be offered new tenancies within units which are available to be occupied in the town centre.
This will save on costs of operating the current market building and, at the same time, enable available units within the shopping centre to be occupied.
The new way forward for the market follows a number of meetings involving traders and members of Wirral Council’s leadership, and further engagement with traders will continue as plans develop.
Leader of Wirral Council, Paula Basnett, said: “When I became leader, ensuring that we developed a viable new plan for the market, in partnership with the traders and with openness and transparency, was a top priority.
“This new way forward will see traders find a new home in the heart of the town centre, helping to support the sustainability of their businesses as well as growing a new era for Birkenhead Market.
“I now look forward to us pushing these plans forward into reality as quickly as possible.”
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Work to obtain costings and timelines to demolish the existing market building will now also progress, with a second phase of work then taking place to develop plans for a potential market square and public space which could host outdoor markets and events.
The new proposal will allow the wider town centre improvement work to continue, tying into other projects planned in Birkenhead.