Wirral Waters: 'Bigger than the Olympics'

By Gary Maiden

The Wirral looks set to be given a £4.5bn makeover in an ambitious scheme that covers an area larger than the site for the London Olympics.

Peel Holdings, the company behind the project, is on the verge of submitting the planning application for the 260-acre Wirral Waters.

Peel wants to create a “retail, leisure and residential” area and they estimate that 15,000 new homes will become available as a result of the project, along with 27,000 full-time jobs and over 750,000 square metres of retail and commercial development.

Councillor Jean Stapleton claimed that it is extremely important to the Wirral community that the planning application is accepted, describing the local economy as “unsustainable”.

Cllr Stapleton said: “It is essential for the local community and the Council that Wirral Waters delivers new jobs and homes. Currently, 40,000 people a day commute out of Wirral, with fewer commuting in for work. That is unsustainable. So is the lack of opportunity for some of the most deprived communities in the country, which surround the site. The recession is making it difficult to counter these problems but Wirral Waters offers a huge opportunity to provide new employment, not just in the site itself but in the communities around the site.”

Peel, the company responsible for the building of the Trafford Centre, John Lennon Airport and Salford Quays, have vast experienced in this field.

Cllr Stapleton hopes that they can use this experience to build their most impressive project to date. She said: “Peel will learn the lessons from Salford Quays, to provide an integrated long-term regeneration. The comparison with the Olympics is important, in showing how local communities, including the most deprived, can benefit from major regeneration projects.

“In terms of delivery, whilst the economy is in recession at this time, Peel expect their project to run through two or three periods of recession. They have shown with Salford Quays and the Trafford Centre in the North West and Gloucester Docks as another example, that they can deliver major mixed-use regeneration projects.”

Development of Wirral Waters is expected to continue over the next few decades, and with such a dramatic boost to the economy being predicted, the local community are expected to be in favour of the scheme.

Cllr Stapleton added: “Peel continue to get significant public backing for their proposals, which are seen by many residents as a major opportunity for the borough. At an exhibition held into the Wirral Waters proposals in Birkenhead Market in September 2008, 96% of responses supported regeneration. There will be further public consultation on the forthcoming East Float planning application.”

Education in the area could also benefit. A link with Chester University and Wirral Metropolitan College could see the forming of a ‘Wirral University’ on the site.

One main opposition to the proposal comes from the owners of the Birkenhead shopping centre, Warner States, who fear that Wirral Waters could damage the Birkenhead economy.

Cllr Stapleton was quick to play down any such concerns, she said: “As the major landowner in Birkenhead Town Centre, Warner Estates clearly have a major role to play in regenerating the Borough. Birkenhead Town Centre is not performing at a level that could be expected for the fifth biggest local authority in the North West (and the third biggest metropolitan district). The Council has stressed the need to ensure a future for Birkenhead Town Centre and that Peel’s proposals should complement that future.”