A major Birkenhead regeneration scheme  has taken another step forward thanks to an £8.3m investment from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority’s Transforming Cities Fund.

The Birkenhead Central Gateway project will see the removal of two flyovers in the Birkenhead Central station/Hind Street area and the re-alignment of the highway network to ensure routes into the town centre and the tunnel are maintained and improved.

This activity will then unlock the Hind Street brownfield site for housing and commercial development creating hundreds of new homes and make it a more attractive gateway into the town centre.

Wirral Borough Council’s regeneration scheme would better connect the new homes with the town centre, giving people improved access to Birkenhead town centre and public transport services, as well as the Pyramids Shopping Centre.

A Highways Strategy is being developed and diversion routes will be put in place to allow for the removal of the flyovers due to take place later this year. More details will be made available nearer the time.

Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor, said:

“Since I was elected, I’ve made it a priority to help get our towns on the up, and we’re investing over £8m to help regenerate this part of Birkenhead. This is the difference that devolution can make, with local people in charge of how money is spent in our area.

“When it is finished, this project should help to breathe new life into the area, create hundreds of affordable homes for local people and bring communities closer together.”

Janette Wlliamson, Leader of Wirral Council, said:

“This is brilliant news and is another key step in moving forward our ambitious plans for Birkenhead. Removing the flyovers will mean that the area around Birkenhead Central Station will no longer be so cut off from the rest of the town centre, allowing us to open up an area that has been so badly underused for more than 50 years.

“Removing what has effectively become a ‘concrete collar’ around this part of the town centre will allow us to make this a more people-friendly environment, taking the focus away from cars and putting it back on the people using these streets, creating a more welcoming space.

“This is a major step on our way to recreating the town centre by changing how the area around St Werburghs looks, feels and functions – and changing the face of Birkenhead.”