Woodside Ferry Terminal, Wirral Council, p via press release

Journeys by ferry across the River Mersey take about 10 minutes. Credit: via press release

£9m Woodside Ferry Terminal upgrade starts

15 October 2024 12:06 Charlie Valentine Comments ()

Set to complete by next summer, the project aims to secure the long-term viability of the waterfronts of Wirral and Liverpool.

Woodside Ferry Terminal is almost 40 years old and in need of an upgrade. It allows passengers to travel 10 minutes downstream to Seacombe, or across the River Mersey to Liverpool’s Pier Head terminal.

The £9m programme of work will include removing and replacing the current landing stage and linkspan bridge, as well as modernising the passenger waiting area. When complete, the terminal will host the £26m Mersey Ferry, which was announced in December.

Warbreck Engineering and Construction is the contractor for the project, according to filings on Contract Finder Pro.

Cllr Steve Foulkes, chair of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority transport committee, said: “The existing structures at Woodside have served us well over the past 39 years, but it’s important for us to look to the future and fit in with the wider improvements taking place.

“Alongside the plans for a new ferry, these works highlight our commitment to the Mersey Ferries and their importance as a much-beloved cultural asset for our city region.”

The terminal upgrade project was partially funded through Wirral Council’s Levelling Up Fund bid and forms part of a wider regeneration scheme coinciding with the £23m Wirral Woodside masterplan, which features the development of 1,700 homes, two hotels, and tourist amenities.

Other aspects of the masterplan include the erection of two multi-storey car parks, an enhanced public realm, an external events space, and roughly 122,000 sq ft of active ground floor space for commercial enterprise.

Cllr Paul Stuart, Leader of Wirral Council, said: “The Woodside area is on the cusp of major change with the significant funding Wirral Council has obtained to maximise the incredible potential of this unique location.

“The revamped ferry terminal will play an important role in helping us make Woodside the amazing waterfront destination it should be, alongside the work we are doing to improve its connections through Hamilton Square to Birkenhead town centre and make it a location where people want to live, work, and visit.”