Supermarket is “catalyst” for Wirral town’s regeneration

Oct 20 2010 by Liam Murphy, Heswall News

A NEW £30m Asda superstore will be a catalyst for regeneration in Wirral’s main shopping area, according to the council.

Work on the Birkenhead scheme starts next month, and is expected to create at least 95 construction jobs over the next year and 320 jobs when the store opens.

An ambitious build programme should see it opening in time for Christmas 2011 – a major milestone for the town which has waited a decade for the development.

However, local councillor Phil Davies, while welcoming the long-awaited investment, acknowledged it could be difficult for existing traders while the store is built.

Wirral Council revealed that three of the town’s main car parks will be shut – two of them in the run-up to Christmas.

Cllr Davies said: “There will be less car parking in the short term, but I hope traders appreciate that ultimately the store will act as a magnet to bring people into the town centre.”

Cllr Davies said it had been “frustrating” over the years as the scheme almost but never quite got off the ground.

The development will be built on land between Grange Road and Oliver Street, and will be approximately 90,000 square feet when completed, with an entrance from the shopping area on Grange Road.

Cllr Simon Holbrook, deputy leader of Wirral Council, said the store “will completely transform this part of Birkenhead” and “act as a catalyst for regeneration and job creation in the area”.

He said: “Asda have a proven track record, through their commitment to Local Employment Partnerships, of creating employment opportunities for local people and I know this development will provide a major jobs boost in an unemployment hotspot in Wirral.”

Cllr Holbrook said the council will use the building period to arrange for “significant additional highway improvements to be made to the surrounding roads”.

He said: “There will inevitably be some disruption while work is being completed. However, we have made alternative arrangements for all those affected by the works so that residents, businesses and shoppers will face as little disruption as possible.”

Howard Smith, of Asda, said it was “not just a store but a major development for the town centre”.