Seddon picked for Birkenhead Market
Wirral Council’s director of regeneration and place has given the nod for the contractor to carry out pre-construction services, advancing the conversion of former retail space at 1 Princes Pavement.
Previously occupied by Argos, the unit, next to the bus station, is earmarked for a new market hall for Birkenhead. Wirral has secured £14m from the Future High Street Fund to bankroll the project.
Four experienced contractors had bid for the work and following evaluation by the project team and advisors, Seddon Construction was selected.
Corstorphine & Wright is the architect for the market at the Grange Shopping Centre. It will occupy close to 33,000 sq ft with 13 retail units, 10 food retailers, a 1,400 sq ft event space, bakery, cocktail bar, coffee shop, and seating.
Leader of Wirral Council, Cllr Paul Stuart, said: “Progress on the new Market is an important part of our wider plans for Birkenhead so it’s great to see this continuing to move forward.
“We are committed to delivering a vibrant and popular new Birkenhead Market and this is part of a massive investment in the town and its central shopping area.
“Our intention is to ensure Birkenhead is a destination people want to visit as part of attracting the inward investment which will bring high-quality jobs for our residents, give extra stimulus to the local economy, boost business opportunities, and through all this foster economic growth.
“In this way we can make Wirral an even better place where people want to live, work and raise their families.,”
The “soft strip” demolition of the unit at Princes Pavement was completed late last year, opening the way for fit-out work starting for the new market.
This had followed engagement with community and traders on proposals for the market including presenting detailed design images showing how the new revitalised Birkenhead Market could look, including potential layout for traders’ stalls.
This latest contract is to finalise the design of the new Birkenhead Market and inform a fixed price for the next construction phase, at a contract price of £188,487.31 with a contingency of £50,000 built in to cover any additional surveys that are identified as a requirement for design development.
The target delivery programme indicates a practical completion date for the main base build works of March 2026.
This is the kind of change Birkenhead needs with the kind of indoor market you see on the Continent offering food, drinks, artisane goods, etc. We’ve had enough of the down market trackies ,fluffy toys, and cleaning products you can purchase in the pound shop type outlets.
Get this market up and running, get the Hynd St Village built, get the Woodside ferry back in operation, and get some good residential development on the Birkenhead river front and we can start looking to a brighter future for the Left Bank of the Mersey.
By Anonymous
Why not use the old M&S building and bring traders right back into the centre of Birkenhead. The council have had their way for far too long with those stupid new office blocks that are still vacant. Will the market in the old Argos site just be a daft market selling Artisan rubbish that no one wants or can’t afford. Birkenhead needs a proper market like it used to be …..
By Anonymous
@ Anon 7.26am, ” artisan rubbish” you call it, hey ho what a tasteful individual you sound, the Wirral is crawling with charity shops , value shops, and football related garb. Some people pursue a more stylish and quality inspired lifestyle but in some quarters here they are deemed to be snobs, yet this kind of outlook is normal abroad where not that well-off people have a tasteful mindset and they enjoy their food markets and find them places to socialise.
By Anonymous
Definitely the wrong location – poor decision of WMBC
By MEH
What is happening to the oldmarket???
By Chris
WMBC should take a trip out to Bury.
It has a vibrant market and modern town centre with all major high street and out of town shopping within walking distance.
A total transformation of Birkenhead town centre is required if it wants to have its own identity rather than have all the new housing infrastructure but be a suburb of Liverpool.
By Anonymous
I am really intrigued by the plans that are or may really happen will it really happen or is it wishful dream thinking ? I really do hope these things will happen as LIVERPOOL WATERS are already ahead OF BIRKENHEAD will my great old town have a good future ahead and have SECURITY for our childrens safety and future 🤔
By Dean.sumner
Looks like every other tarted up,yet depressing ” market hall” .
By M Sharp