Main contractor on the new Birkenhead Market project to hold ‘meet the buyer’ event in May as it invites local businesses to bid for contracts. Tony McDonough reports

Local firms in Wirral are being encouraged to bid for contracts on the new Birkenhead Market project. 

In March Wirral Council appointed Seddon Construction to carry out pre-construction works. Bolton-based Seddon won the contract after competing for the job with three other firms.

It is starting the process of creating the new market which will be located at 1 Princes Pavement, next to Birkenhead bus station, which was formerly home to national retailer Argos.

Now Seddon wants to encourage local firms to be part of the scheme. It will hold a ‘meet the buyer’ drop-in event on Tuesday, May 6, between 1pm and 3pm at Egerton House in Birkenhead.

This will give local businesses the opportunity to learn more about the contracts available as construction on the new market gets underway.

Packages available to bid for will include a range of work taking place across the project, from bricklaying and blockwork, joinery, plastering and tiling to cleaning, mastic, floor covering providers, decoration and signage suppliers.

As well as providing details of available contracts, the event will also offer advice and support to those in Wirral’s construction supply chain on the approvals and accreditations required to be able to apply for tenders, training and skills development, and overarching business development support.

Other partners attending the event include CITB, the training board for the construction sector, Constructionline, a platform connecting construction buyers and local suppliers,  and Wirral Chamber of Commerce.

Initial plans for a new market on the former House of Fraser site on Grange Road were shelved in December 2023. Birkenhead has had a town centre market since 1835 with the current facility based within the Grange Precinct.

The council took over the market in 2019 and revealed ambitions to build a new facility in 2020. Late in 2024 it released images of what the new market will look like.

Cllr Tony Jones, Chair of Wirral Council’s Economy, Regeneration & Housing Committee, said: “This event is a great opportunity for local businesses to find out how they can be part of delivering Birkenhead’s new market.

“Ensuring that local companies benefit from the funds being invested into Wirral is a key part of our people-focused regeneration strategy, helping that investment stay within the local economy.”

Click here to register for the meet the buyer event