Last week, the partners who are part of the project to revive New Ferry came together to mark the start of the construction work on two sites situated in the centre of the town.
Nearly seven years after an explosion damaged over 200 buildings and impacted numerous local residents, the ‘groundbreaking’ ceremony was held. In the first phase of the project, 34 new homes will be constructed in the region.
Wirral Council representatives and elected members joined others from The Regenda Group and M&Y Maintenance and Construction at the ceremony.
Representatives from Homes England, who have provided £1.9m funding for the development of new affordable homes, were in attendance. Alison McGovern, MP for the Wirral South constituency, which encompasses New Ferry, was also present at the event.
Pupils from Grove Street Primary School, who will benefit from the Positive Footprints’ Raising Aspirations programme as part of the regeneration project, were the guests of honour.
The beginning of the construction of 20 homes on Boundary Road was celebrated in a ceremony. These homes comprise of 13 one-bedroom and 7 two-bedroom apartments and are available through the Rent to Buy scheme. Additionally, there are 14 apartments on Bebington Road which are up for affordable rent and are available through Regenda Homes. Allocation for these apartments is done via the Property Pool Plus system.
The initial stage of the New Ferry regeneration project is marked by the creation of these two sites. Two additional sites located on Woodhead Street and New Chester Road are currently under review and a resolution is anticipated by the end of April.
The new housing developments will be complemented by improvements to the public realm along Bebington Road and additional car parking facilities on Grove Street, supported by funding from the government’s Future High Streets Fund (FHSF).
Cllr Tony Jones, Chair of the Economy, Regeneration and Housing Committee for Wirral Council, said:
“This is another significant milestone in the redevelopment of New Ferry. I know it is so important for residents and businesses to finally see spades in the ground on a comprehensive development that will deliver much-needed affordable housing to the area, for both rental and rent to buy.
“Regenerating New Ferry has long been a top priority for the council. However, it has been a complex process, requiring investment and hard work to get to this point due to most of the land and buildings within the development sites being in private ownership.
“We are delighted that the Regenda Group is partnering with us on this development. The group consists of a number of multi-disciplined, specialist companies and they bring a strong community focus to the project and are committed to delivering social value in this project as well as high-quality new accommodation where it is needed in New Ferry.”
Martin Davies, Director of Development, at The Regenda Group, said:
“We’re pleased to see work begin on site at New Ferry. This is an important milestone in our project to rebuild and transform the area, bringing a range of high-quality, affordable homes that meet the needs of local people.”
Stephanie Harrison, Executive Director Operations – Customer Service, at The Regenda Group, added:
“We’re excited to see work starting on the New Ferry site. This is a significant development for local people, seeing the area brought back to life through affordable housing. As a regeneration company with a community focus, we’ve pledged to bring man benefits to the local community, including opportunities for local children, young people and adults.”
