Ambitious plans to create a family-friendly neighbourhood in Birkenhead are getting underway and you can help shape the proposals as they begin.
Wirral Council is outlining a vision to turn the Cleveland Street area, which is just south of the Wirral Waters development and north of Birkenhead Park, into more residential-focused neighbourhood and see hundreds of new homes built.
But it is important that the council hears your views at this early stage about the proposals for the area.
The current draft Local Plan sets out the aspirations to build approximately 1,025 homes and create “a new high-quality residential-led mixed-use neighbourhood with new public open space, a primary school and various public realm and building improvements.”
Chair of Wirral Council’s Economy, Regeneration and Housing Committee, Cllr Tony Jones, said: “We are at the early stages of putting this proposal for Cleveland Street forward and we are really keen to gather as many views as possible to help us ensure we deliver the kind of neighbourhood people will want to live and work in.
“This is an exciting time for Birkenhead and the whole of the Left Bank area and we are seeing real progress in delivering new regeneration for everyone in Wirral.”
The key driver behind the plans is the ambition to create a new, high-quality family neighbourhood located near all the services and facilities that residents need all within easy access of walking, cycling and public transport.
In recent months the council has been working with a design team including experts from Maccreanor Lavington, Landscape Projects and Useful Projects to develop the vision for the neighbourhood.
The proposals being put forward would see up to 60% of all the new homes being family size, with three or more bedrooms, with local services on the doorstep and improved links between the neighbourhood, Wirral Waters, Birkenhead Park, and Birkenhead Town Centre.
The aim is to ensure employment uses can coexist with the new homes and could also see new employment spaces on the ground floors of residential buildings.
The community would be supported by the building of a new primary school, a new neighbourhood park and transforming Duke Street into West Birkenhead’s high street.
The broader plans aim for a highly sustainable neighbourhood, designed with the impacts of climate change in mind, and to make it easier for people to reduce their energy use.
What do the proposals include?
Homes
- A new neighbourhood for people to live, with 1025 new homes proposed.
- Approximately half of new homes to be houses or maisonettes
- Up to 60% of all homes will be family size, with three or more bedrooms
Access
- Reducing the need to drive, by improving options for walking, cycling and public transport
- Fostering a 15-minute neighbourhood with local services on the doorstep
- Improving the links between the neighbourhood, the Docks, Birkenhead Park, and Birkenhead Town Centre
Business and workplaces
- Retaining employment uses that can coexist with homes
- Creating new employment spaces on the ground floors of residential buildings
Community
- Building a new primary school
- Transforming Duke Street into West Birkenhead’s high street
- Providing a new neighbourhood park
Environment and sustainability
- Designing a highly sustainable neighbourhood, designed to for climate change
- Embedding green, biodiverse, edible, playable and flood-resistant open space
- Designed to make it easier for people to reduce their energy use
- Putting systems in place to retain and reuse resources where possible, such as materials, energy, and water.
To take part in the consultation on the Cleveland Street area visit us in person at our pop-up engagement shop: BirkenEd’s Place, 8-10 Borough Pavement, Grange Precinct, Birkenhead, to give us your feedback.
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