BROWNFIELD REGENERATION CREATING A LOW-CARBON NEIGHBOURHOOD AND RECONNECTING THE TOWN CENTRE – LIVERPOOL CITY REGION COMBINED AUTHORITY
Birkenhead
Context
At Borough Yard, Birkenhead, Wirral Council and its partners, supported by Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Homes England, are aiming to turn 10.9 hectares of long derelict former gasworks and railway land into a walkable, low carbon neighbourhood.
The area has suffered from decades of vacancy and contamination, poor connectivity caused by tunnel flyovers and the gyratory road system, high recorded crime and antisocial behaviour, and deep deprivation.
Project
Borough Yard will deliver up to 1,600 homes alongside complementary uses, new infrastructure and extensive public realm. The initial phases of Borough Yard (A&B) will unlock 10.9 hectares to deliver over 600 new homes, 1,300+ sqm of active ground floor commercial space, and high-quality public realm. Dock Branch Park South, a new linear green corridor and active travel spine, will connect Birkenhead town centre with Birkenhead Central and Green Lane stations.
The project is designed to improve physical and mental wellbeing through new green space and off-road walking and cycling routes. A bus first street layout and proximity to rail will improve access to jobs, education, and services while reducing transport barriers in an area of high deprivation. Bringing homes and amenities onto previously overlooked streets is also intended to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour through design, lighting, and natural surveillance.
Issues to resolve
Key barriers to delivery include site contamination, poor connectivity and deep social-economic challenges. These are compounded by significant funding and viability challenges associated with complex brownfield, multiphase projects in lower value markets. The Full Business Case identifies a £50+ million viability gap for enabling works.
FACTORS SUPPORTING DELIVERY
Leadership & Oversight
A strong partnership is central to its progress: Wirral Borough Council as principal landowner, Ion Developments as Development Manager and Master Developer, and substantial funding support from Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Homes England. It forms part of the wider Left Bank, Birkenhead and Wirral Waters regeneration corridor under the Strategic Place Partnership with Homes England, and the scheme represents one of Wirral’s most significant redevelopment programmes.
Funding & Finance
The scheme relies on a blended funding model with substantial public investment focused on enabling infrastructure and site preparation including utilities diversion, site clearance, and transport improvements which represent a significant proportion of the overall development cost.
A joint business case secured £29 million from Homes England and £22 million from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (approved in principle) to support early phases of delivery.
By addressing these upfront infrastructure constraints, public investment plays a catalytic role in unlocking schemes of this nature and enabling the delivery of new homes that would not otherwise be viable. Without this intervention, the scheme would be unlikely to proceed, given the scale of abnormal costs associated with the site.
Engagement & Accountability
The project will work with the community with a focus on improving access to services, reducing transport barriers, and creating safer streets and public spaces for existing and future residents.
Capacity & Knowledge
The scheme builds on strategic regeneration partnerships and experience of delivering complex brownfield regeneration and infrastructure-led development.
Planning, Land & Assembly
Public enabling works, new transport infrastructure, and the Dock Branch Park South corridor will unlock the first phase of development and connect the site with surrounding neighbourhoods and transport hubs.
Outcomes
Housing and supply
The scheme will initially unlock over 600 homes, with later phases supporting around 1,600 homes overall.
Economic growth
The development will strengthen town centre footfall and support wider regeneration across Birkenhead and Wirral Waters.
Sustainability
All homes are targeted to meet the Future Homes Standard, with air source heat pumps, Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS), biodiversity measures, and a movement network prioritising walking, cycling, and public transport.
People and place
The project will create high-quality public realm, safer streets, improved connectivity, and better access to jobs, education, and services.
