Wirral flirts with building new Tranmere Rovers stadium
13 June update: Wirral Council approved the feasibility study proposal.
The £100m Sports City in Birkenhead would have a new 15,000-seat stadium for Tranmere Rovers Football Club as its centrepiece.
On Monday, Wirral Council will decide whether to accept a £100,000 grant from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority to launch a feasibility study to create Sports City at the former Bidston Dock in Birkenhead. The £100,000 grant would cover half of the estimated £200,000 study cost. The remainder would be covered by Wirral Council.
A council report described Sports City as “a catalyst for the whole Left Bank regeneration scheme and especially Wirral Waters”. The new stadium would also support TRFC’s ambitions to be a self-sustainable Championship club, according to the report. It would be located at the Bidston Moss part of the old Bidston Dock site.
Bidston Moss in Birkenhead could be the home of a new Tranmere Rovers Football Club Stadium. Credit: Google Earth
Bidston Moss is owned by Peel and can hold the stadium and provide the club growth opportunities to increase capacity to 25,000 if needed. Bidston Dock has also been cited as a good location for a digital golf driving range, sports science facility, and food and retail outlets.
Peel has signalled its support of the Tranmere scheme but only wishes to act as the landowner in the project.
The proposed feasibility study would complete in December and would focus on confirming the demand for the stadium, developing a business and funding plan, and crafting a delivery timescale.
If plans for Sports City and the new stadium go forward, TRFC’s current Prenton Park would be freed up for residential development.
Earlier this year, Tranmere Rovers Trust secured permission to create a fan park, consisting of a 12,000 sq ft event space and microbrewery, adjacent to its Prenton Park stadium.
Classic Peel, we`ve got the land and you develop on it, nevertheless a worthwhile concept for the Rive Gauche, and a better location for Tranmere FC with motorway and rail access.
Wirral Council needs to take advantage of this rush of new developments and ideas, and make both sides of the Mersey focal points.
By Anonymous
Wirral Council elected councillors and officers were criticised in Nov 2021 as their prevailing culture was found to avoid difficult financial decisions and its financial sustainability was declared uncertain. Criticism has also been raised by the Secretary of State for their continued and persistent failure to deliver a Local Plan. The initial SoS letter reached back to Nov 2017 and we still don’t have an adopted Local Plan today!
Wirral Council is inadequate and incompetent on so many levels.
Is it any wonder Peel only wants to act as the landowner when the key development partner is incompetent.
By N/A
Not surprised Peel is supportive however given their experience with Salford City Stadium its not surprising they dont want to develop another stadium
By Anonymous
Good news for Tranmere and the area you have to move with the times
By Stephen Walsh
I would love to see this stretch of land all the way to the River Merseyside developed into a proper “city centre’ with high rise offices, high rise residential units, leisure and retail units and attractions. Could you imagine the potential if there was the vision and investment! (Could definitely still feature a “Sport City” and new TRFC stadium).
By MC