New developer set to start on phase two of New Brighton redevelopment

Nov 18 2009 by Liam Murphy, Heswall News

A DEVELOPER has been appointed by Neptune Developments to complete the planned revamp of a Wirral seaside town.

Liverpool-based Neptune has selected Bowmer & Kirkland as their preferred contractor for Phase Two of the New Brighton scheme.

It will follow on from the completion of the widely-praised Floral Pavilion Theatre and Conference Centre which formed the centrepiece of the first phase of the redevelopment of the seafront.

Neptune Developments Director Rob Mason said: “We are pleased to be moving ahead with Phase Two of the New Brighton scheme and are looking forward to working with Bowmer & Kirkland.

“We hope the start on site will be a great Christmas present for the people of New Brighton, and we would like to thank everyone who has offered their support to our proposals, including Wirral Council.”

Bowmer & Kirkland is one of the country’s leading privately-owned construction groups and carry out work across the country.

The company has also given more details about the proposed timeline for the development.

It is intending to start on the Wirral scheme before Christmas with civil engineering works, including draining the Marine Lake prior to refurbishment and works to the promenade.

Phase Two, worth approximately £35m, includes a new Morrisons supermarket, a 66-bed Travelodge hotel, a digital cinema, bars, restaurants, a watersports training centre, a new model boating lake, a public lido and other public spaces, as well as improved public transport links. The Marine Lake and the new Promenade and Model Boating Lake are due to be completed by Summer 2010 with the Morrisons supermarket ready to start fitting-out just after Christmas next year.

The Travelodge, Light Cinema, and some of the leisure buildings should be ready for fit-out by Spring 2011 and the rest of the leisure buildings and the Lido will be completed by summer 2011.

The first phase of the £60m scheme was completed last year with the 800-seat Floral Pavilion and Conference Centre.

In August, Wirral Council’s planning committee gave unanimous backing to the detailed plans for the second – and major – phase of the £60m redevelopment.