Plans in for 1,600-home Wirral regen
Ion Property Developments’ Hind Street Urban Garden Village would transform the former Birkenhead Gas Works into a thriving, low-carbon neighbourhood with a primary school and 648,000 sq ft of commercial space.
Ion announced on Tuesday that it had submitted plans for the project to Wirral Council. The application has not yet appeared on Wirral Council’s planning portal.
To make way for the 65-acre urban garden village, Ion is seeking permission to demolish the Queensway Tunnel flyovers. The application also allows for remediation and infrastructure works for the southern section of the site.
If approval is secured, Ion will also convert the former Dock Branch train line into an active travel corridor.
“We’re delighted to see this next step in the vital regeneration of the Hind Street area, which is such an important part of the future regeneration of Birkenhead,” said Steve Parry, managing director of Ion.
“The new and existing neighbourhood, which includes 1,600 new homes, will enjoy new and more seamless connections within the neighbourhood and to the town centre itself, as well as much better connections to Liverpool and other city region transport hubs,” Parry continued.
“We’re working hard towards a goal of achieving the highest quality green urban village, which we hope will set a standard for innovation, connectivity, and quality of life.”
BDP is the masterplanner and architect on the Hind Street Urban Garden Village project. WSP is the consultant for planning, transport, and environmental assessment. Planit-IE is the scheme’s landscape architect. Curtins is charged with remediation and engineering.
The local authority has been working alongside Ion on Hind Street Urban Garden Village, even seeking £41m in grant funding to help deliver the first tranche of 600 homes. This money would come from Homes England and Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. Wirral itself has borrowed £2.25m to pay for site investigations.
Browse the mini-gallery below to get a better sense of what the future may hold in store for Hind Street. All images are provided by Bentley Communications.
Brilliant 😍😍😍
By Anonymous
This is hugely significant, particularly the proposals to remove the flyover and develop a plaza opposite Central station. Throw in the ‘low line’ park, the new market, the new office quarter and all the in-fill developments that will flow from this and we’re going to see a wholly different Birkenhead in the next ten years.
By Birket Boy
This looks really exciting. The Future is…
By Anon
Wirral putting Liverpool to shame with its housing projects.
By Anonymous
Fantastic news and much needed homes!
By Piermaster
As the saying goes “Don’t count your chickens until they’ve hatched”
Let’s see if the funding is achieved, as this is the biggest indicator for work to commence.
By Anonymous
This looks and sounds amazing but the people living there need to respect the area and not turn it back into the dive that is Birkenhead now
By Maude Kidd
A very welcome development. But in what possible sense is it a “garden village “? Like “sustainable”, “beautiful”, “executive”, “green”, “characterful” and “exclusive”, it’s a word that developers have stripped of all meaning.
By Moomo
Anon. Can’t you leave Lpool out of this just for a short while. Give us a break
By Anon 1
This sounds amazing,Great planning 👍
By Mrs Barker