A major grant will allow the demolition of the two annexes either side of Wallasey Town Hall and help kick start regeneration in Seacombe.
Wirral Council is being awarded £2,325,000 as part of the Government’s Brownfield Land Release fund which is intended to support nearly 100 regeneration projects across the country.
The cash has been awarded to Wirral to remove the annexes and make the land available for development.
The North and South Annexe sit either side of Wallasey Town Hall as part of the Town Hall Quarter, they were vacated as administration offices in March 2020 during the Covid pandemic but had been earmarked for decommissioning prior to this.
The area is included within the Seacombe Masterplan area which has the potential to deliver significant housing redevelopment as part of the wider regeneration plans.
Leader of the Council, Cllr Paul Stuart, said:
“This grant shows the Government recognises Wirral’s ambition and ability to deliver regeneration for the people of this borough.
“We are already pushing ahead with plans for real transformation. This latest step will help us continue to find ways to bring forward the homes and jobs that true regeneration provides, making Wirral and Seacombe an even better place to live and work and bring up families.”
This grant supports Wirral Council’s draft Local Plan, currently being examined by inspectors, which puts forward a brownfield-first approach to new development in the borough.
The council’s emerging Wirral Local Plan 2021-2037 sets out comprehensive proposals for the regeneration of the Seacombe River Corridor which includes the Town Hall Quarter.
The Brownfield Land Release Fund bid was submitted in March 2023 to support the regeneration and fund works associated with the annexes’ demolition and site clearance – potentially making way for 149 new homes.
Work has taken place to remove asbestos and disconnection of all utilities and other services. A contractor is now being appointed to carry out the demolition of the buildings and clear the site.
The project has been funded by HM Government via the Brownfield Land Release Fund (BLRF2). The investment is part of the second round of the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities’ £180 million Fund going directly to councils to release land and help building works start as soon as possible.
Further details on when work will start on the demolition of the annexes will be made available in due course.