Plans for food hall on the site of former Wirral pub

The former Royal Swan Hotel in Birkenhead, later known as the Blazing Stump and nightclub Bonkers, could become a food hall.

The plans include outdoor seating areas with benches, an outdoor event space, food and drinks vendors, and a large bar.

A private function space will sit inside the new building which will be called the Dock Road Food Hall.

Upstairs two spaces will have bars though could be combined into one large space if needed. If the plans are approved and it does open, it would be open from 8am to 2pm Monday to Thursday, until 2am on Friday and Saturday, and until 11pm on Sunday.

First opened in 1878, the venue was known for its “unusual and interesting atmosphere due to the variety of locals and overseas workers who would be visiting at any one time.”

Dock Road Food Hall plans (Image: Evoke Architecture)

However, after the decline of the Birkenhead docks with less ships passing through, the pub on Dock Road is thought to have closed for good in the 1980s or early 1990s.

Now construction company AP Mitchell and Evoke Architecture have submitted plans to Wirral Council to completely turn the site around.

If approved this would see the old pub demolished as it “has rapidly degenerated into a state of disrepair”.

Dock Road Food Hall plans (Image: Evoke Architecture)

The development would sit opposite the Wirral Waters developments on Dock Road which propose building an estimated 13,000 homes along the docks in Birkenhead and Seacombe.

Evoke Architecture said the new designs “would not only help tie the site into the existing approved developments down at the waterfront, but also create an opportunity to better reflect existing heritage in the surrounding area.

Dock Road Food Hall plans (Image: Evoke Architecture)

“It would also create an opportunity to develop a much more energy efficient building when compared with the existing.”

Given the Wirral Waters developments currently taking place in the area, potential new employment facilities at MEA Park and Northside, and possibly 3,500 homes around Birkenhead Road, developers said the proposal will complement changes in the area.

Dock Road Food Hall plans (Image: Evoke Architecture)

A planning statement from Evoke Architecture said: “The proposed building has been designed to become a hub for socialising, events and private functions to take place, alongside providing a dedicated space for food and drink.

“With its close proximity to the growing residential sites, it is envisioned that it will become a go-to destination for locals, as well as for visitors alike, attracting people to Wirral Waters through its unique design and proposed hospitality offerings.”