Birkenhead Central Phase 2

The council is seeking to maximise the prospects for the Birkenhead Central area with a focus on bringing more people into the town centre and increasing leisure, residential and wellbeing opportunities alongside promoting more business uses and attracting more shoppers.

In Phase 1 of the consultation people were asked to tell us about their views on the opportunity for a dramatic transformation of Birkenhead Town Centre and the adjoining St Werburgh’s area. This feedback (see the report in the documents section) has been used to produce a vision for the Neighbourhood and a draft Masterplan for Birkenhead Central has been developed. The Masterplan and an Executive Summary of it are now available for review in the Documents section of this page.

The delivery of the Masterplan will guide the future of three key adjoining areas in the heart of Birkenhead including the Grange Road Retail Area, Commercial District (around new office buildings) and Charing Cross Quarter. Together these areas are being collectively known as Birkenhead Central.

Map of the Birkenhead Central Area.

Through this consultation, those taking part will be asked about improving access to the area and options to encourage visitors to spend more time in the Town Centre through better leisure facilities, as well as creating new high quality homes.

In the short and medium-term a key aim is to see greater visitor numbers, supported by improved pedestrian, cycling and wheeling routes and will be anchored by a range of wholesale changes including the creation of a new market adjacent to the existing bus station and a new health and wellbeing facility that will sit opposite, housing a modern swimming offer. The scale of the ambition is supported by the council’s strategic acquisition of the Pyramids estate in 2023, and presents a major opportunity for shaping the town’s future. It comes at a crucial time for Birkenhead and follows the recent submission of Wirral’s Local Plan which is focused on brownfield development for the borough.

Some work has already been delivered through the recent completion of two new high-quality offices in the Commercial District and the commencement of the public realm and highways upgrades to Grange Road, Charing Cross, Conway Street and Europa Boulevard.

The masterplan now being consulted on aims to see the town centre “rebalanced and vibrant” and its heritage assets celebrated and fully used whilst reconnecting the traditional high street.

To provide your thoughts on the development of Birkenhead Central please complete the survey below.