People are getting their first look inside an abandoned train line that is central to plans to transform Birkenhead.
Wirral Council intends to create a new Dock Branch Park along the old railway line which stretches from Tower Road in the north of the town to Green Lane train station. It was last used in the 1980s.
The first stage will be an 800m stretch from Tower Road to Argyle Street and could feature new landscapes, a cycle and walking route, gardens, wildlife habitats, and an events space.
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As well as the park, a visitor attraction collaborating with the National Museums Liverpool will also be built with transport vehicles from across the country, similar to what is in the Wirral Transport Museum.
Currently, traces of the old railway can still be seen among rubbish left from fly tipping over the years and old bricks.
The park would start near the Wirral Waters developments down on the docks and finish in the town centre. Members of the public are now being taken on guided tours to show what the rail line looks like now and how it could look in the future.
Around the park, the council looks to build 1,200 homes along the park over the course of the council’s 2040 Framework with a mix of family homes and apartments.
The council is in the process of acquiring the site from Network Rail as part of the plans and a planning application on the visitor destination is expected in the summer. If approved, construction would begin as soon as 2024.
It's hoped funding for the new park will come from £13m the council is bidding for from the Liverpool City Region’s Sustainable Travel Settlement Fund. Money for the other regeneration projects in Birkenhead has come from the government’s Town Deal, Future High Streets and Levelling Up funds.
Cllr Tony Jones, chair of Wirral Council’s Economy, Regeneration and Housing Committee, said: “The Dock Branch Neighbourhood project is a real opportunity towards restoring Birkenhead and helping the town achieve its potential. I would urge everyone to get involved and have their say and help us make this the huge success it deserves to be.
“Many millions of pounds of Government funding has been secured by the council specifically ring-fenced to support the regeneration work which is already getting underway. We are now starting to see the fruits of this work and the next few years will see real and beneficial change being delivered for the people of Wirral.”
Wirral Council is currently carrying out a consultation until February 16 on the plans and the wider neighbourhood to get people’s views and opinions. BirkenED’s Place, a hub for all the different projects, is also running one until February 18 as well as hosting tours of the park and other regeneration projects.
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