Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Homes England said they will invest £51 million in a Birkenhead regeneration project that will create more than 1,500 new homes.
Hind Street Urban Garden Village, a major transformation project on the site of a former Wirral gasworks, will turn derelict land around Hind Street into a new community of homes, a new park, improved transport links, commercial space and leisure facilities.
The government’s housing and regeneration agency has agreed a £29 million investment in the project, following a £22 million commitment from the Combined Authority. This investment will fund vital infrastructure works needed to unlock the site and deliver the first 633 homes.
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: “This is really exciting news which marks a significant milestone in our mission to regenerate Birkenhead and the wider Wirral. Through our Strategic Place Partnership with Homes England, we’re accelerating transformational projects like Hind Street, turning derelict land into vibrant, sustainable communities that our region deserves.”
“With over 1,500 new homes being built, alongside improved transport links and green spaces, this project will serve as a blueprint for the type of regeneration we want to see across the Liverpool City Region – regeneration that not only delivers homes but creates jobs, boosts local businesses, and builds stronger communities.”
Peter Denton, Chief Executive of Homes England, said: “The Strategic Place Partnership model gives us a framework to support local leaders who have a strong vision for housing and regeneration in their area. The Liverpool City Region is undoubtedly an area with huge potential for growth and is somewhere the government has already shown commitment to.”
“The funding approved today for Hind Street Urban Village is further evidence of our support for the region and aligns with our mission to work together with the mayor and his team, to develop a pipeline of housing and regeneration development and help the Combined Authority unlock the region’s full potential.”
The funding will be used to unlock the Hind Street site and remove complex barriers to its development, including moving Birkenhead’s gas supply to a new, improved location. The former Rock Ferry to Bidston Dock railway line will also be brought back to life as Dock Branch Park. The line, thought to be one of the oldest stretches of track in the world, has been closed since the early 1990s but will be given back to the community and transformed into a ‘linear’ park, providing walking and cycling routes and connecting people to local transport links.
The project is being managed by Wirral Council in partnership with developers Ion, which have been commissioned to undertake Development Management services including the design of the scheme, the remediation and infrastructure works required and the submission of the planning application. Subject to planning approval, it is expected to start on site in 2025 and complete in 2027.