Neptune to resume New Brighton work before Christmas

Neptune Developments has selected Bowmer & Kirkland as main contractor on the £35m second phase of the New Brighton redevelopment.

Civil engineering works, including draining the marine lake prior to refurbishment and works to the promenade, will begin before Christmas. The contract award follows the granting of gap funding by the North West Development Agency, which deemed New Brighton one of its priority areas.

The smaller first phase of the £60m scheme was completed late last year delivering the 800-seat Floral Pavilion and Conference Centre.

Phase two includes a new Morrison's supermarket, a 66-bed Travelodge hotel, a digital cinema, bars, restaurants, water sports training centre, a new model boating lake, a public lido and other public spaces, as well as improved public transport links.

Rob Mason, director of Neptune, said: "We hope the start on site will be a great Christmas present for the people of New Brighton and we would like to thank everyone who has offered their support to our proposals, including Wirral Council."

The marine lake and the new promenade and model boating lake are due to be completed by summer 2010 with the Morrisons supermarket ready to start fitting-out just after Christmas 2010.

The Travelodge, Light Cinema, and some of the leisure buildings should be ready for fit-out by spring 2011 and the rest of the leisure buildings and the Lido will be completed by summer 2011.