As a £130m project to build 500 apartments at Wirral Waters completes it is revealed the project injected £44m into the Liverpool city region supply chain. Tony McDonough reports
A £130m project to build 500 apartments at Wirral Waters provided employment for more than 1,000 people and boosted the Liverpool city region supply chain by £44m.
Now completed, Millers Quay comprises 500 apartments for rent across six blocks with 100 of the apartments classed as ‘affordable’. This means rents are no higher than 80% of full market rate.
In January 2022 Peel Waters announced that institutional investor Pension Insurance Corporation (PIC) was funding the Miller’s Quay scheme. Wirral Council and Homes England were also partners on the scheme.
Construction group GRAHAM secured the contract to build the blocks. During the build almost 75% of the workforce lived within a 30-mile radius with £1m a month invested in local labour.
Representatives from each of the partners, in addition to Wallasey Labour MP Dame Angela Eagle, gathered to officially mark and celebrate the completion of the development.
Richard Mawdsley, development director at Wirral Waters, said: “The construction of Millers Quay has been driven by a really solid collaboration, with each partner instrumental in its delivery.
“This is a very proud moment for Peel Waters and I’d like to thank the local community for being so supportive and patient throughout its construction, and to the incredible students at Wirral Met College for getting their hands dirty and helping us to learn and innovate throughout this monumental building project.”
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GRAHAM’s CRE8 programme, delivered at Millers Quay, provided training and employment for local individuals, with most participants securing employment following their placements.
More than 400 students from Wirral Met College’s Construction Campus – Peel Waters first development at Wirral Waters – have also benefited from Millers Quay, with students taking part in site tours, Q&As with site managers as well as the opportunity to complete a variety of on-site work placements.
Last summer, the first two blocks of Millers Quay – Copper Mill and Steam Yard – were completed. These 150 one- and two-bedroom apartments were all let within just three months. Millers Quay is part of the Northbank neighbourhood at Wirral Waters.
Now, the final 350 new homes within four blocks – Soda Factory, Salt House, Glaze Works and Lime Studio – are also complete bringing the construction of Millers Quay to an end.
Letting agent, JLL, has already received thousands of enquiries and requests to view, largely from the local areas across Liverpool and Wirral.
In March, Wirral Council approved the construction of a Sainsbury’s Local store on a plot of land adjacent to Millers Quay. Located on the corner of Dock Road and Duke Street, work on the store will begin in the autumn with completion expected in early 2026.