A cash injection of £8.3m from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority’s Transforming Cities Fund will fund the demolition of two flyovers, making way for 1,400 new homes. Tony McDonough reports
Around 1,400 new homes will be built in Birkenhead thanks to an £8.3m project to remove two flyovers in the town.
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority’s Transforming Cities Fund has agreed to fund the demolition of the flyovers in the Birkenhead Central station/Hind Street area, paving the way to create a brownfield site for residential and commercial development.
There will also be an re-alignment of the highway network to ensure routes into the town centre and the tunnel are maintained and improved. The aim is to improve the gateway to Birkenhead town centre by creating a new community of homes and businesses.
Wirral Council’s regeneration scheme would better connect the new homes with the town centre, giving people improved access to Birkenhead town centre and public transport services, as well as the Pyramids Shopping Centre.
A highways strategy is being developed and diversion routes will be put in place to allow for the removal of the flyovers due to take place later this year. More details will be made available nearer the time.
Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram said: “Since I was elected, I’ve made it a priority to help get our towns on the up, and we’re investing more than £8m to help regenerate this part of Birkenhead.
“This is the difference that devolution can make, with local people in charge of how money is spent in our area. When it is finished, this project should help to breathe new life into the area, create hundreds of affordable homes for local people and bring communities closer together.”
Janette Wlliamson, leader of Wirral Council, added: “This is brilliant news and is another key step in moving forward our ambitious plans for Birkenhead.
“Removing the flyovers will mean that the area around Birkenhead Central Station will no longer be so cut off from the rest of the town centre, allowing us to open up an area that has been so badly underused for more than 50 years.
“Removing what has effectively become a ‘concrete collar’ around this part of the town centre will allow us to make this a more people-friendly environment, taking the focus away from cars and putting it back on the people using these streets, creating a more welcoming space.”