Docks revamp plans with council

Peel wants Wirral to rival New York and Sydney

Plans for the main section of a £4.5bn redevelopment of Birkenhead Docks have been submitted to Wirral Council.

Developer Peel said the East Float part of its Wirral Waters scheme was the UK's largest planning application.

Stretching over 1.4 million sq m, the project features high rise buildings, green spaces and 13,000 homes.

Councillors have already approved the Northbank East section of the scheme and Peel hopes the latest plans will go before the council next Spring.

Together with its £5.5bn Liverpool Waters scheme on the opposite bank of the Mersey, the developer wants to transform the Merseyside docklands into a "waterside destination" to rival New York, Sydney and Shanghai.

The transformation is expected to provide more than 4,000 construction jobs over the life of the entire scheme.

This is a significant step in our vision to regenerate Wirral Steve Foulkes, Wirral Council leader

Officials say the latest part of the plans will provide office and workshop space to support about 20,000 jobs, as well as leisure and culture facilities.

Peel said the East Float project followed work with Wirral Council and the local community over the last three years.

The property giant hopes the project will act as the catalyst to transforming the local economy and regenerating seriously deprived areas around the docklands.

Lindsey Ashworth, development director, said: "This has been a massive, difficult and complex but exciting journey bringing this project together over the last three years to the point of submitting a planning application."

Wirral Council leader Councillor Steve Foulkes said: "This is a significant step in our vision to regenerate Wirral.

"Importantly it is encouraging that even at a time of such economic difficulties we continue to make significant progress towards the delivery of our ambitious investment strategy.

"The challenge for us now is to ensure this exciting vision delivers real benefits for the residents and businesses of Wirral and indeed the wider region."