Will councillors tell the public what Neptune’s plans for Birkenhead Market are?
Thursday’s meeting of Wirral Council’s Cabinet had a last-minute item added to its agenda titled “Birkenhead Town Centre – Masterplan Principles”. Neptune Developments Limited (the company behind the New Brighton Marine Point development) have a plan and want Cabinet to approve a consultation on it.
These are the elements of the masterplan:
- Demolish Europa Pools
- Build new leisure centre on the car park next to Conway Park train station
- On the site of what was Europa Pools build a drive through restaurant, public bar/restaurant and seven units (probably cafés and restaurants) plus car parking
- Reduce the car parking adjacent to Birkenhead Bus Station and put a café there
- Remodel Birkenhead Bus Station to “remove service vehicles and avoid pedestrian/bus conflicts”
- Remodel Birkenhead Market Hall
- Possibly a hotel on the vacant plot on the corner of Conway Street and Europa Boulevard
There’s even a ten page leaflet with glossy photos about the proposals on Wirral Council’s website.
What probably won’t be reported by the rest of the press, as Wirral Council have chosen to keep much of these details out of the public domain is that according to this report (see 2.5) from 2013 Neptune Developments Limited have an interest in one of the pieces of land in Conway Street that would be needed for the scheme.
The report going to Cabinet on Thursday evening also states “No other options have therefore been considered as NDL has already secured an interest in the balance of the land that is needed to deliver the re-provided market.” If Cabinet agree to consult on these plans, Wirral Council will have to seek legal advice that including Europa Pools in the proposals won’t contravene procurement or state aid rules.
At the moment, there is uncertainty as to what the proposals mean for Birkenhead Market and hopefully some light can be shed on this element of the proposals at the Cabinet meeting this Thursday evening.
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Knock Europa pool down, then build a lesure centre on the train carpark, and then build more cafe’s and restaurants, so no shops then and where are the cars going from the train staion?, remodel the bus station yet again, why not move it back down to Woodside ferry?
The plan is for the new lesiure centre to only take up some of the car park next to Conway Park train station, so it would still leave some parking for those who wanted to use the train station.
At the moment although one unit is down as a drive through and one as a bar/restaurant the uses of what the other units will be put to isn’t entirely clear. However if it’s something similar (but on a smaller scale) to Marine Point in New Brighton it’ll end up being cafes or restaurants which occupy those units.
Woodside bus station has only recently been demolished and rebuilt. I don’t think Woodside has the space for the amount of buses that come through Birkenhead these days.
G’day John
From today’s trash paper from over Stella’s Wirral Waters.
Wirral Waters Enterprise Zone ‘not attracting investors’
Council leader Phil Davies said: “The reality is we have had some small companies but no major players.”
However, he also said he hoped there would be key announcements about major new investments on the site “within months”.
They can’t even be open honest and transparent about Wirral “Funny” Bizz John why would anyone deal with these people?
Ooroo
James
Ps Walked into a room yesterday with Judge Rinder on TV and he was talking about LAW FRIENDSHIP and MORALITY maybe “The Pretend Friend” could make the effort to stay awake today to watch and consider.
G’day John
I presume that the Clowncil Meeting next Monday is the last before the new CEO.
What do you think are the chances of them attempting to clear up Big, ISUS and Working Neighbourhoods before Ecca has to get involved,The Fat Controller gets control again before his nuptials and Wirral “Funny” Bizz try to dissolve?
Ooroo
James