Demolition work starts on buildings in New Ferry in Wirral in the next phase of the regeneration of the area that was devastated by a huge gas explosion in 2017. Tony McDonough reports
Work has started on the latest phase of the regeneration of the Wirral district left devastated by a huge gas explosion in 2017.
Demolition specialist J Freeley has been appointed by Wirral Council to carry out a 14-week programme to demolish derelict buildings in the New Ferry area, close to Port Sunlight village and Bebington.
Work started in March 2024 on the construction of 34 new homes as part of 70 planned for the neighbourhood. Regenda Group and its construction arm M&Y are building the 34 homes on two sites.
There will be 20 homes on Boundary Road, comprising 13 one-bedroom and seven two-bedroom apartments available under the Rent to Buy scheme.
On a Saturday evening in March 2017, a huge gas explosion ripped through the district. It destroyed buildings, including Griffiths the Butcher and Chinese restaurant Lan’s House, and injured more than 80 people.
The blast could be heard several miles away and it was a miracle no one was killed. In October 2019, furniture shop owner Pascal Blasio was jailed for 20 years for causing the blast in a botched attempt to claim £50,000 insurance.
This latest work will see the demolition of a vacant property on Grove Street and further demolitions set to take place on New Chester Road and Woodhead Street.
A former commercial building on Grove Street, which contained a swimming pool and associated plant, has been taken down.
That empty site is now being cleared, levelled and secured with fencing ahead of the council’s highway team starting work to turn it into public car parking. More than 50 new spaces are being created, including provision for Blue Badge holders.
After finishing at Grove Street, the demolition contractors are set to move onto New Chester Road. Traffic management arrangements are being finalised and asbestos will be safely removed prior to work beginning to demolish the buildings.
They will include the former Co-op store and premises from 104-124 New Chester Road. All the properties have been vacant for several years. The final part of the programme will see the removal of the former public toilets on the Woodhead Street car park.
Cllr Tony Jones, Chair of the Economy, Regeneration and Housing Committee for Wirral Council, said: “It’s great to see work progressing so well on the first phase of the New Ferry regeneration while at the same time preparations are being made for the second and last phase.
“The demolition of the vacant building on Grove Street allows the council to create more parking spaces there even as the rest of the work continues, while the removal of the row of empty shops facing New Chester Road will take away a real blight on the area.”
For safety reasons, there will need to be traffic management arrangements in place while the demolition work is happening, particularly when contractors are working on New Chester Road. Some inconvenience will be unavoidable at that time.
Contrary to some local concerns, however, access to the Woodhead Street car park will be maintained throughout the demolition phase of this scheme.
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