Vision unveiled for 1,000-home Birkenhead neighbourhood

Wirral Council hopes to transform the area around the town’s historic Dock Branch railway line into a  “thriving residential-led mixed-use urban community”, according to a draft masterplan.

The authority has launched a consultation on its proposals for the Dock Branch Neighbourhood, which surrounds the proposed linear park site. The consultation will run until 1 December and can be accessed at haveyoursay.wirral.gov.uk.

A draft masterplan drawn up by Maccreanor Lavington indicates that 990 homes could be delivered in the area, as well as 90,000 sq ft of industrial and 92,000 sq ft of commercial space.

Plans also include the adaptive reuse of heritage assets through refurbishment and retrofit to secure alternative futures for historic buildings, while new development would draw on the town’s best examples of Georgian, Victorian, and industrial heritage to reinforce Birkenhead’s local character.

Wirral Council held a phase one consultation for the scheme in January to find out what the community would like from the development. As a result, the draft plans focus on the retention and improvement of existing buildings, better landscaping, and the creation of more affordable and safe places to live.

There were also three phases of engagement led by PLACED.

The project team includes Open, Civic Engineers, Usefulprojects, London Continental Railways, Civic Engineers, Make CIC, Authentic Futures, Cushman & Wakefield, Walker Sime, Ardent, independent advisor David Roberts, and Dock Branch Community Panel.

Plans form part of the Birkenhead 2040 Framework, which sets out a 20-year plan for the town’s regeneration and hopes to deliver 21,000 homes and 10m sq ft of commercial space.

Wirral Council is also currently running consultations on its plans to build more than 2,000 homes at Cleveland Street and St Werburgh’s Quarter as part of the framework.

• READ MORE: The Future is Birkenhead

Cllr Tony Jones, chair of Wirral Council’s economy, regeneration, and housing committee, said: “At this stage, designers are putting forward ideas of how areas could develop in the future to get the conversation started.

“We want the Dock Branch Neighbourhood masterplan to reflect the whole range of views of the community so we can better understand what people who live, work, or visit the area want it to be like in the future, and also to think about how we make it attractive to people to come and make this part of Birkenhead their home or choose to set up a business here.”