UKREiiF | Wirral ‘on right track’ after Birkenhead swoop

The council’s bold move to tighten its grip on the town centre shows the authority is heading in the right direction following a scathing performance review in November 2021, according to director of place David Hughes. 

Wirral Council completed the acquisition of 500,000 sq ft of retail space in the town centre less than two months after previous owner Mars Pension Fund put the asset on the market. 

The “brisk and businesslike” approach to the deal is an indication of how far the council has come in recent times, Hughes told Place North West at UKREiiF. 

In 2021, the government appointed a panel to oversee the authority amid concerns about its financial position. 

Hughes believes the Birkenhead deal amounts to a step towards a brighter future. 

“I think the panel will be very impressed that we managed to buy it so quickly. When the panel comes to review our progress shortly, hopefully, they will be giving us a big tick on regeneration.” 

Momentum is paramount when it comes to town centre redevelopment, and having control of Birkenhead’s destiny is central to the authority’s ambitions and its aim to demonstrate it knows what it is doing. 

Construction of offices in the first phase of the masterplan is underway. Credit: via planning documents

Councils are often accused of being overly bureaucratic, which makes them slow-moving and unable to react at speed to opportunities. 

Hughes recognised the danger that inaction could bring to Wirral’s Birkenhead vision. 

“We had to move very quickly [because] if we don’t get control of that, and it gets sold to another fund who are passive and don’t invest, it could end up affecting the value of our existing assets.” 

Hughes joined Wirral Council in January, moving from Newham Council in London to fill the void left by Alan Evans, under whose tenure much of the Birkenhead vision was drawn up. Evans joined Homes England in October.

Work on two Grade A offices, forming the first phase of that vision, is underway and discussions to relocate the market are ongoing.  

Now, Hughes has put his stamp on Birkenhead’s rebirth by negotiating the deal that sees the council take control of The Pyramids and The Grange shopping centres. 

This was an important piece of the jigsaw, especially when it comes to attracting investment, he said. 

“I’m very much on the hunt for funds that can see that we’ve got a trajectory, and we’re going to get things done, that want to put some hard cash behind it.  

“We bought [the shopping centres] because the yield on it is excellent, but we haven’t got the money to actually do direct development. Now we have got to show the institutions and pension funds with development partners that we’re ready to go.”

Wirral Council is working with Muse Developments on the first office phase of the Birkenhead regeneration but future phases, unlocked by the acquisition, are up for grabs, according to Hughes. 

A team from BDP, led by Birkenhead-born Mark Braund, is in the process of drawing up options for the newly acquired site, which could involve demolition of The Grange and refurbishment and conversion of The Pyramids, which was built in the 1990s. 

Hughes envisages some residential to come forward – although not a “monolithic” block – once the values are there to support it.  

“Resi will be there to complement the other users that come in. At the moment, let’s face it, the resi market isn’t strong in Birkenhead town centre,” he said. 

Leisure uses including a boutique cinema, plus a redesign of the dual carriageway that runs next to the site and acts as a barrier, could also be on the agenda. 

Nothing is set in stone, though, and Hughes is keen to impress the importance of being flexible when it comes to long-term regeneration projects. 

Wirral Council, he said, is good at strategy and vision. Now, attention turns to delivery.