Work is set to begin in 2025 on first phase of a plan to create a new ‘urban village’ in Birkenhead eventually comprising 1,600 homes – but the Government will have to give the final go-ahead. Tony McDonough reports

Work on Hind Street Urban Village in Birkenhead is set to start in autumn 2025 with remediation work ahead of the construction of the first of up to 1,600 homes.

On Thursday evening councillors on Wirral’s Strategic Applications Sub Committee unanimously resolved to support the final stage of the planning process. It means the council’s chief planner is authorised to approve the application.

However, it is also subject to its referral to the Secretary of State. This must be done because the application is a departure from the council’s Unitary Development Plan.

Once the council gets the final go-ahead it can push forward with the construction of 633 new homes on a former gasworks site that is adjacent to Birkenhead town centre.

Councillors on the committee supported the application which includes detailed consent for the primary enabling works – for which the council has secured £52m of funding from Homes England and Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.

In addition, the application seeks outline consent for the housing – up to 1,600 new homes – and associated development that will follow the remediation and infrastructure works.

This project will see derelict land around Hind Street turned into a new community with homes, a new park, improved transport links, commercial space and leisure facilities, as well as the eventual removal of the adjacent flyovers.

While the first phases of this work will be remediation of the site to address any contamination from its previous industrial uses, there will also be works to provide new roads, active travel links and the start of the Dock Branch Park project.

Wirral Council is leading this scheme in partnership with developer ION Developments. The works are anticipated to take two years and will be undertaken by John Sisk & Son while ION will be managing the implementation of these works on behalf of the Council, and then will be delivering the housing.

Paul Stuart, leader of Wirral Council, said: “Hind Street is a key element of our ambitious regeneration programme, in this case unlocking a brownfield site which has remained empty for many years to deliver much needed new homes.

“We are totally committed to changing this part of Birkenhead for the benefit of local communities and our plans for regeneration go beyond just building – we are focused on boosting Wirral’s economy in the long term.”

Work on demolishing the flyovers will begin in a later phase in the development, with continuing work throughout the demolition process to ensure the process of the  removal of the flyovers minimises traffic congestion.

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Homes England, the government’s housing and regeneration agency, has agreed a £29m investment in the project, with a similar commitment from the CA bringing the investment to £52m.

Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram added: “Hind Street is a really exciting project and I’m so pleased that we’ve now secured the green light to press on with development.”