SENIOR policy making councillors of Wirral Council met with officers to review the Lairdside Regeneration plan following an announcement by English Partnerships that it has to reduce funding by £2m.

This could have serious implications on the Tranmere Urban Village and Marine Lake plans. Councillors put an exempt 'not for publication' notice on the policy and resources committee debate, which meant the press had to leave.

Earlier, the committee approved funding for the Laird Foundation and agreed to seek funding of £2.2m for a proposed marine technology park on the site of the former Cammell Laird bus park between Campeltown Road and New Chester Road.

Up to now, the regeneration of Birkenhead's Lairdside area has been making steady progress, especially due to the growth of Cammell Laird. There are hopes that shipbuilding may return there. Besides interest in building one of Britain's new generation aircraft carriers, ship repairer Cammell Laird is reported to be in talks with neighbours Marconi to obtain further shipyard space for bigger projects.

Either one of these companies could be in the market to build a new aircraft carrier, but it is early days yet. The Ministry doesn't even know what type of carrier it wants to build, while the Ark Royal class may be modified (unofficial source).

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