Unanimous approval for Wirral Waters care village

Supported by planner Mosaic and architect Pozzoni, Belong has secured consent for a care home and apartments at Wirral Waters, the latest in a flurry of projects to come forward at the strategic site.

Belong’s proposals are for a mix of housing options, including 34 one and two-bedroom apartments for independent living through to six households providing 24-hour support for up to 12 residents each.

The village will also support people in the wider community through its registered domiciliary care service, Belong at Home, and its specialist day care service, Experience Days. There will also be communal facilities including a lounge, gym, bistro, kitchen, laundry, and offices.

Wirral’s planning committee last night voted unanimously to approve the proposals, which will allow work to get under way. The project’s professional team also includes Urban Green as ecologist.

Belong’s site is one of several sites across Wirral Waters to receive part of a £6m pot from the Housing Infrastructure Fund to help with enabling works, utilities, remediation, and installing public realm.

Urban Splash’s site, featuring 347 modular homes, was the biggest beneficiary from the fund, getting a £2.5m package for enabling works, with the other sites across the North Bank receiving funds ranging between £284,000 and £805,000.

The works will need planning consent before they can begin, and Peel as the landowner is required to provide a procurement strategy for the scheme. Under the terms of the funding, the work will need to be complete by March 2021.

Other schemes coming forward are Wirral Waters One, featuring 500 homes; the HIF money is expected to pave the way for construction to start either later this year or early next.