Maccreanor Lavington to set Birkenhead design standards
Wirral Council has appointed the Anglo-Dutch practice to help create a design guide to steer the 1.4m sq ft redevelopment of the town centre and establish a minimum threshold for quality.
Maccreanor Lavington, which has offices in London and Rotterdam, will lead on the creation of the design guide, a key part of the council and Muse Developments’ Birkenhead 2040 Regeneration Framework.
Landscape Projects, Civic Engineers, Useful Projects, and PLACED will assist Maccreanor Lavington in the creation of the guide, which is to be adopted as a supplementary planning document.
Wirral Growth Company, the council and Muse’s 50:50 joint venture, is delivering the £1bn transformation of Birkenhead town centre.
The first phase of the project will see a pair of office buildings totalling 150,000 sq ft delivered on the site of the former Milton Pavements shopping complex.
Later stages of the 27-acre project, approved by Wirral Council in April feature more office space, 650 homes, and a 110-bedroom hotel.
The town’s indoor market will also be relocated.
“The appointment of Maccreanor Lavington is an important step as we move ahead not just with the focus on Birkenhead town centre but the local plan for all of Wirral,” said Cllr Tony Jones, chair of Wirral Council’s economy, regeneration and development committee.
“This is a statement of intent. Wirral will not settle for anything less than high-quality developments.”
Kevin Logan, director of Maccreanor Lavington’s Urban Studio said: “We believe there is a real generational opportunity to deliver social, economic, and environmental regeneration for Birkenhead and the wider area, to create a series of exemplar urban neighbourhoods that are resilient, distinct, and future-proofed.”
So many positive things happening , or due to happen, in Birkenhead these days: dockside housing , offices , bars and eating places, alternative market at Woodside ferry, while over at New Brighton some great neighbourhoods springing up.
By Anonymous
Quality
By Rich X
Wirral is seriously getting some great design in developments – first Wirral Waters and now the appointment of Maccreanor Lavington (one of the consistently strong architectural practices today).
If Liverpool went for this approach with their dockside schemes, they would have been much better for it I believe.
By Steve W
Absolutely wonderful news. A sincerely brilliant practice with a thorough grounding in continental design standards. Birkenhead is finally getting the attention it needs and it is so heartening to learn that the council has its eye on quality. Take note Liverpool!
By Trademark
Can’t wait to see what they come up with. So much potential in Birkenhead and Wallasey. Can wait to see what happens! Lloyds Corner will hopefully benefit in the future!
I just hope the high quality development is complimented by high quality active travel interventions to encourage walking and cycling. The new link along Dock Road is great but it will need to tie into the rest of the area with more routes branching off it.
By Seacombe lad
With reference to travel and the environment, in addition to walking and cycling the area already has the framework for a local tram network , meanwhile the silence over the upgrading of the Mersey ferry is deafening, please re-instate the New Brighton ferry and have a look at how Hamburg run their ferries up and down and across the Elbe river with modern but nonetheless atmospheric craft.
By Anonymous
Please make Birkenhead market similar to the shopping mall in liscard in wallesey plenty of light!!! Not an open air one covered with lots of stores inside and around the the sides!!!!
By B Mckay