A BRAND new £15m park connecting one end of a town centre to another could open by February 2027 according to a new report. Dock Branch Park was previously expected to open at the end of this year, 2024.

Wirral Council intends to create the 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 near Wirral Waters to Argyle Street and could feature new landscapes, a cycle and walking route, gardens, wildlife habitats, and an events space. The second stretch is expected to tie in planned future developments around Hind Street to the south.

A new events space is planned that will be connected to Future Yard, a live music venue, café, bar and arts space on Argyle Street. In 2022, former regeneration director Alan Evans said: “We want Birkenhead to be known for music again and we think Future Yard is a big part of the future.

“We want to have steps or a ramp so that people can easily move between Future Yard and the park.”

The project is considered a catalyst for the regeneration of Birkenhead by making the centre of the town more attractive for development. Wirral Council plans to build over 1,000 homes in the vicinity of the new park with plans approved earlier this year drawing inspiration from a development in Stockholm, Sweden.

The council is in the process of looking to acquire the site from Network Rail though it has faced delays as Wirral Council carries out a number of inspections on bridges along the route. Once the current condition is assessed, funding is expected to be bid for from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority to fund the renovations and repairs.

According to a council report published ahead of a committee meeting on September 16,  £15m of funding from the Liverpool City Region is slowly moving forward with an outcome expected in October 2024. Once this decision is made, a planning application is expected to be submitted.

£15m is the maximum that can be bid for so in an attempt to keep costs down, Wirral Council is looking at potentially buying the required materials early, continue discussions with Network Rail, and carry out early contractor engagement. So far, £1.9m of grant funding has already been spent on the project so far with  £236,000 remaining.

Between November 2024 and June 2025, Wirral Council is expected to carry out any technical design needed for the project with construction to start in July. According to a report timeline, this work is expected to finish in December 2026  with the new park opening in March 2027.

However the project faces uncertainty while negotiations take place with Network Rail over the bridges issue. It is currently one of 21 regeneration projects the council said appears “feasible but is in doubt.”