Wirral Council submits business case to Government as it seeks more than £350m for its regeneration projects in and around Birkenhead. Tony McDonough reports
Wirral Council is seeking more than £350m from the Government towards its plans to transform Birkenhead.
It is one of just a handful of local authorities to be shortlisted in the Government’s New Development Corporation Competition. The competition’s aim is to identify councils with innovative, “bold and ambitious proposals” for housing and economic growth.
An outline business case submitted by Wirral Council to Government includes a request for £5.6m to bolster the capacity of the regeneration delivery team and highlights the £350m capital requirement for the regeneration programme.
This will oversee the delivery of the five key neighbourhoods at Hind Street, Wirral Waters, Central Birkenhead, the Waterfront and Dock Branch.
Initial work on Hind Street Urban Village in Birkenhead is set to start in autumn 2025 with remediation work ahead of the construction of the first of up to 1,600 homes. The council also has multiple plans for new homes and business space in the other areas.
Wirral Council’s director for regeneration and place, Marcus Shaw, said: “This is an important step and ties in with the very real progress being made across the borough with workers on site and spades are in the ground.
“Wirral is powering ahead in delivering one of the biggest regeneration programmes in the country.”
READ MORE: Images reveal £20m plans for Wirral waterfront
A report to the March meeting of Wirral Council’s Policy and Resources Committee says that following an expression of interest submitted to the Government Wirral Council was one of six local authorities shortlisted as part of the competition.
It secured funding to look at delivery model options and design a bespoke model to support the regeneration programme. Several options were considered and as a result the Wirral Regeneration Partnership was established.
The formation of the Wirral Regeneration Partnership, which was agreed by the Economy, Regeneration and Housing Committee in December 2023, is to co-ordinate and accelerate the priority regeneration programmes.
It does not have any formal decision-making powers and its recommendations are fed to the Economy Regeneration and Housing Committee and/or Policy and Resources Committee.
This latest report to councillors says the outline business case to be submitted to Government recognises that to deliver a regeneration programme of this scale requires “significant resources”.