With plans to use Compulsory Purchase Orders approved earlier this month set to end an ongoing impasse, and outline permissions granted in September of 2020, the area may be on the verge of seeing some much needed progress – though the completion of the project may still be some years off.
The local council, which has been granted £1.3 Mn to complete purchases of the outstanding properties, has stated that it hopes to find a developer to work with on the regeneration of the three sites as quickly as possible. The statement from Anita Leech, chair of the council’s economy, regeneration and Development Committee reads:
“Residents and businesses in New Ferry are quite rightly desperate for this transformation to take place as soon as possible.
“They have made their views known through a number of consultations and have played a significant part in helping shape and design the plans that we are looking to take forward.
“It has been a highly complex process, however, with much of the land needed in private ownership.
“The council has made steady progress, through an investment of more than £1.3 million, on acquiring pockets of land across the three sites and now is the time for us to conclude the purchase of the remaining land.
“This is essential to avoid any delays in appointing a development partner to bring these much-needed regeneration plans to fruition as quickly as possible.”
While CPOs are not the way many would have hoped for the process to move on, progress has been needed for the site which many have felt has been neglected by local and national government. With outlines already approved, there are early indications of what the area may look like eventually, but further information and designs likely won’t appear until after the council has found a development partner.
Across the three sites, initial proposals include building 79 new residential units – which includes a mix of two and three-bedroom houses, as well as one and two-bedroom apartments – as well as planning consent for more than 1,000 m2 of retail floorspace.
While the wait continues – at least in the short-term – for observable progress on these new developments, residents have also been pleased to see the return of artist Paul Curtis to the area to take the total number of his murals to 12 over the coming weeks. The artist has stated:
“It took 18 months to get phase one started because some people were against it but thankfully the reception to that has been all positive, and the people who were against it initially are now all for it.”
The murals, which have brought a wonderful splash of colour to the area, will see Curtis in his grey Cherry Picker return to New Ferry for the continuation of the project which he hopes can have an impact. Along with the developments on the area affected by the explosion, the murals – he hopes – ‘send a message that something is starting to happen now. It has lifted the mood a little bit.’
With money available for the area – in addition to the funds available for the CPOs, there has been a further £3.2 Mn awarded to New Ferry as part of a larger regeneration fund – and the final hurdles seemingly overcome in taking ownership of the three sites for the purposes of regeneration, we can hope that we’ll start to see some real progress coming soon – especially as the wider area is set to experience sweeping changes over the coming years.
This has obvious implications for residents and landlords in the area – New Ferry has faced some hard times since the event in 2017, and that has led to it becoming a less attractive place both to rent and let properties. However, both landlords and renters alike can take great encouragement that there appears to be a much-needed sea change on the way.
Looking to take your next steps in the Wirral property market, or need advice from local experts? Contact Us today to see how Wirral Homes can help.
