Liscard’s Cherry Tree in line for makeover
The shopping centre would be significantly remodelled as part of plans to improve retail, street and pedestrian areas and build new apartments in the Wirral town.
Wirral Council is to launch a consultation on Monday on its proposals to invigorate Liscard town centre, one of Wirral’s main shopping areas.
The consultation, which opens on 12 October and runs until 2 November, includes proposals to:
- remodel the Cherry Tree Shopping Centre, working with the centre owner
- improve retail and pedestrianised space, potentially for outdoor food and drink, as well as community and cultural events
- build residential apartments,
- develop a new ‘anchor’ food retail store,
- provide a multi-level car parking facility
The plans are part of the council’s 20-year vision to regenerate a stretch of land along the Wirral Peninsula, taking in areas such as Liscard, Seacombe, New Brighton, Birkenhead, New Ferry and Bromborough and called the ‘Left Bank’ development framework, as revealed by Place North West this summer.
The revamp of the Cherry Tree shopping centre and surrounding area come under a 15-year masterplan for Liscard that sits within the overarching Left Bank roadmap.
Other proposals set out in the Cherry Tree consultation include improving the road network and one-way gyratory around the town, with scope to provide more space for walking, cycling and better public transport connectivity “to create a safer, calmer and more attractive town centre”, according to the council.
Several sites are earmarked for potential housing development to create a renewed “urban village”. And members of the public are being asked to put forward suggestions for improving public spaces, for example through a redesign of Liscard Way with new paving, better lighting, modernised street furniture, more greenery and the potential to create a civic square.
Cllr Anita Leech, chair of Wirral Council’s Economy, Regeneration and Development Committee, said: “We would like to hear what local people think of our ideas, so that we can develop a final masterplan for the town centre that improves the experience of residents, businesses and visitors, ensuring it is a town centre fit for the future.”
She added: “Community and business input is a vital part of this process so we know we are on the right path to deliver the environment, facilities and public spaces where our local people want to live, work and invest.”
The masterplan and consultation are being financed by the Liverpool City Region Town Centre Fund and is part of a £500,000 programme of investment for Liscard that is delivering additional projects to revitalise the town centre.
A redesign of Liscard Way is also proposed, with new paving, more greenery and a civic square
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Judging by the renders they are going to transplant a bunch of middle class people into the town centre.
All very well putting resi in the centre but who would want to live there?
By Brian
We need more higher end shops! M&S. I work in a bank in liscard! I ask the people that come into our branch a lot from places like west Kirby etc. Why do they come to liscard and they’ve said it’s because we are so close to the M53! Liscard is accessible! We should have better shops! We are a village that has mainly nail bars and barbers! I like the look of what you are putting forward
By Dionne Taylor
Long thought Liscard needed to start building upward and accommodate mixed use buildings. This is over and above what I thought Liscard would ever become.
Once Wirral Waters starts opening up, Liscard and Birkenhead will need to be competitive in terms of what they offer. Liscard has certainly come up in the last few years with the Indy bars so there is certainly scope and demand in the area.
What really does need to happen is that the project must take the community with it… otherwise it’ll alienate the very people who live and breathe Wallasey.
By Seacombe Seeker
Revamping the Liscard shopping centre has to be a good idea. But it will also need to prevent businesses leaving like HSBC. Which will mean for non online bankers a long trip to Birkenhead.
Insentives need to be given to make businesses stay or return. At the moment it is full of Charity Shops. Fast Food outlets. Banks. Solicitors. Travel agents. Discount stores. And cheap clothing shops. Plus lots of empty premises.
And worse than that it is overun by cyclists using the no cycling area between Poundland and The Towers as a one wheel race track.
By Keith
I am told by many from the older generation that it all went down hill in the wirral when they took it from cheshire and made it into merseyside.
By Ricky
We already have outdoor food and drink – Greggs and bench.
These proposals are characterless and out of scale for a tiny town centre with limited footfall, although putting a big supermarket in the centre of town is a very sensible idea.
By Boris
More space for yobs to cycle at speed.
By Donna
Safe and calm sounds great but how can they ensure that. Liscard full kids.youths on bikes and skate boards that a hang out. I’m interested in how they can make it a desirable safe place to go
By Elaine
Went down hill when M S left . It’s one constant closure of good stores ,is this due to high rents or footfall ?? Would be wonderful to see it improved but don’t think it will be in my lifetime !!!!
By Moran
Next to nothing will happen.The LCR does not want it. They would rather everyone spends all their money in Liverpool city centre.
By Heswall
We certainty do want it! I’m in New Brighton, Liscard, Egremont and Birkenhead about every other week. I come for leisure walks and use the shops and cafes and pubs in all these areas. The Wirral has always been one of our city’s great playgrounds, along with my own coastal strip in Sefton. It is our Left Bank! It was historically if course, particularly New Brighton, although we did not use that name then. Rockpoint are doing a great job in New Brighton, and I’ll be delighted to see other areas in Wirral coming on like this.
By Red Squirrel
Ricky if the older generation are telling you that they’re clueless. The area went down with the wider regional economy tanking from 1970s onwards, including in Wallasey itself which has always had areas of real poverty even when it was its own county borough (thus only really ceremonially in Cheshire even then), nothing to do with political boundaries.
By ST
This is all very good that Liscard will get a makeover but this doesn’t explain how or what is going to have the makeover in much detail. I would like to see how and what is to be done, how antisocial behaviour is the be tackled in the area and how Wirral Council tent to maintain the area with ever decreasing funds for even the basic services.
I don’t want to see Liscard end up like Birkenhead with regeneration after regeneration for decades. I don’t want to see the antisocial behaviour issues in Liscard moved to another are like Central Park. I want to see a sustainable future for Liscard and antisocial behaviour issues delt with.
By Karl Mercer
It’s Liverpool’s fault that some of our shops and businesses have closed , nothing to do with our local people or MP’s ?
If Liverpool is attracting people from deprived areas that simply cannot cater for their needs then so be it!!!!!!!
By Anonymous
I think in order to attract shoppers from around the Wirral we need to try something a bit different. We should perhaps look at attracting new businesses with lower rents to encourage new retailers rather than same old known names who with the slightest fall in profit move on. A bit of green space and flowerbeds/trees would be appreciated along with regular maintenance to keep it looking good. Cycles should banned from shopping precincts and patrols to keep anti social behaviour in check.
By Yvonne
Liscard certainly needs regeneration and should be part of an ongoing plan, not just a one time fix.
The very first priority of any such plan MUST be real policing of the area.
By Les, Liscard born and bred