More than 2,000 homes could be coming to Birkenhead

Wirral Council is seeking feedback on its proposals for St Werburgh’s Quarter and the Cleveland Street area.

The authority has launched two separate consultations on its plans for the Birkenhead neighbourhoods.

Leader of Wirral Council, Cllr Paul Stuart, said:  “Right now, these plans are just ideas that are part of a bigger conversation about how we can create the homes, jobs, and enjoyable spaces for people to spend time in.

“We must be inclusive and seek the views and opinions of all our communities, the people who live, work, or visit Wirral, to understand what they want our area to be like in the future”, he continued.

“We must be ambitious, make our borough an even better place to live, raise a family, and have successful businesses while attracting visitors.”

Cleveland Street

Proposals for the area near Wirral Waters have been based on the emerging local plan for the borough and the Birkenhead 2040 Framework.

Designed by Maccreanor Lavington, the masterplan sets out Wirral Council’s vision to “turn Cleveland into a family-friendly residential neighbourhood” that will take advantage of its proximity to the Wirral Waters developments, Birkenhead Park, and the town centre.

The masterplan for Cleveland Street features 1,200 new homes, of which up to 60% would be family-sized with at least three bedrooms, as well as around 126,500 sq ft of offices and 35,000 sq ft of commercial space.

Plans also call for the creation of a primary school, which would sit next to Berner Square, a new neighbourhood hub with a children’s play space, a community grocery store, and a community café.

There is a focus on improving options for walking, cycling, and public transport, along with improving the links between the neighbourhood, the dockland area, Birkenhead Park, and Birkenhead town centre.

Linking Birkenhead Park, Wirral Waters, and Cleveland, Duke Street could also be transformed into a high street with its own train station.

In an effort to retain the area’s industrious character, existing buildings would be kept and adapted to new uses, while new-builds would be designed to celebrate Cleveland’s Georgian heritage.

Landscape Projects and Useful Projects worked with Maccreanor Lavington on the masterplan.

You can access the consultation for Cleveland Street at haveyoursay.wirral.gov.uk. The consultation will run until 24 October.

St Werburgh’s Quarter

Situated near Birkenhead Central Station and a key link to the Queensway Tunnel, St Werburgh’s is a key arrival space in the borough.

Through its vision for St Werburgh’s, Wirral Council hopes to “make Birkenhead a destination in its own right, reinstating it as the capital of the Wirral, and a unique place to live, work, shop, and enjoy leisure time”, according to a masterplan designed by BDP.

The masterplan for the area includes the creation of a high-quality hotel to replace the derelict Central Hotel off Clifton Crescent, as well as a new public realm following the demolition of the Borough Road and Queensway Tunnel flyovers.

It is thought that these flyovers negatively impact the area’s identity, while their removal would also reconnect the town centre to the proposed 1,600-home Hind Street Urban Garden Village.

Removal of the flyovers would also enable the space outside of Central Station to be better used, opening up the land in front of the King Edward VII memorial to form the gateway into the town centre.

The council also hopes to reduce the amount of unused space through the infill of gap sites such as the former Argyle Theatre and Ritz plots.

Proposals also include the relocation of Birkenhead Market to the House of Fraser building off Grange Road with a new market hall.

The former market site would become a key focus for residential neighbourhoods with the potential for the construction of more than 4,000 homes, while in St Werburgh the masterplan highlights the potential for around 800 homes for young people and over-55s, as well as units available for affordable rent.

The St Werburgh’s consultation can be accessed at haveyoursay.wirral.gov.uk and will run until 1 November.