The government has awarded Wirral Council £19.6m to aid the regeneration of Birkenhead’s waterfront.
The plan aims to convert Woodside ferry terminal into a more popular attraction for locals and tourists.
Central Government’s Levelling Up Fund allocated the money to the council last Thursday.
The current ferry landing stage will be replaced and the area’s outdoor space will be transformed.
Cathy Wignall, Project Manager on the council’s Woodside Project, told MerseyNewsLive: “It will become an enhanced visitor destination. The idea is that we’ll get many more people coming over from Liverpool using the ferry across the Mersey.”
The U-Boat Story will also be upgraded to become part of an International Battle of the Atlantic Centre.
This attraction aims to detail Merseyside’s maritime involvement in World War Two and will spread across Woodside and Liverpool.
Big Heritage, the Community Interest Company that operates Liverpool’s Western Approaches Museum, has proposed ideas to improve the U-Boat Story.
These ideas involve incorporating the Western Approaches Museum into a joint-ticketed experience with the Woodside attraction.
To learn more about the Western Approaches Museum, click here.
Levelling Up Fund
The Levelling Up Fund will also aid the removal of Woodside Gyratory and the relocation of Woodside bus terminal.
These proposals intend to make the area more accessible from Hamilton Square.
Cathy said: “One of the main ambitions is to link the waterfront up to the centre of Birkenhead. We’ll be making sure that when you arrive at Hamilton Square Station, there’s a much improved journey down to the ferry.”
The council plan to ask the public for ideas regarding the space left behind after the relocation of the bus terminal.
Cathy added: “Initial thoughts are that the space will have some reference to the improved U-Boat museum.”
The government has invested £4.8 billion into the Levelling Up Fund across the country.
It aims to support town centre and high street regeneration, local transport projects, and cultural and heritage assets across the country.
Birkenhead 2040
Wirral Council has now secured £78.5m for its Birkenhead regeneration programme.
This includes £25m from the government’s Town Deal Scheme and £24.6m from the Future High Streets fund.
“We’ll be making sure that when you arrive at Hamilton Square Station, there’s a much improved journey down to the ferry.”
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has also granted £8.6m to aid in the removal of the flyovers in Birkenhead Town Centre.
The government also invested £1m into the redevelopment of nearby Argyle Street earlier this year.
This funding all comes in support of Wirral Council’s Birkenhead 2040 Framework.
This scheme is the Council’s 20-year vision for the regeneration of the area.
Click here to see more about Wirral Council’s plan for Birkenhead.
