Andrew Spence

Wirral Council has approved plans to replace an unsuitable covered area at Heswall FC’s Gayton Park with a 63-seat stand made from a converted shipping container. The three-row stand, painted in the club’s yellow and blue colours, is expected to improve safety, appearance and usability while potentially attracting more spectators. The council concluded that the development would not significantly affect nearby residents.

Wirral Council is reviewing the borough’s polling districts and polling stations ahead of an all-out election for all 66 council seats in May 2027. Residents, community groups, political parties and others are invited to comment on the suitability and accessibility of existing polling venues, particularly for voters with disabilities. Submissions must be received by 5pm on 18 September 2026.

Wirral councillors are due to decide whether to grant planning permission for a seasonal Bus Yard food and drinks venue on Wallasey Beach promenade near New Brighton. The proposed site would include a static bus, repurposed containers and outdoor seating serving Greek food, desserts and drinks from April to August each year. The Bus Yard was selected through a council tender process, while Wirral Council would require controls for windblown sand, litter and site maintenance. If approved, the venue would be cleared after each summer season and the area returned to its original condition.

Liscard Convenience Store on Liscard Road, Wirral, has been ordered to close for three months after repeated inspections uncovered illicit and counterfeit cigarettes, oversized non-compliant vapes and improperly labelled products. A Trading Standards officer bought duty-free cigarettes during a test purchase, while a later purchase of counterfeit cigarettes was allegedly made from a staff member’s jacket pocket. Liverpool Magistrates Court granted Wirral Council’s closure application, with owner Hiwa Karimi ordered to pay £1,500 in costs. Merseyside Police and council officials said the action protects public health, legitimate businesses and young people, while warning of links between illicit tobacco sales and wider organised crime.

Residents supporting Town or Village Green status for Hoylake Beach told a public hearing that the site has been used for at least 20 years for activities including dog walking, sport and recreation. Applicant Beverley Aspinall and other speakers argued that the designation would protect public access and help prevent development, while councillor Max Booth said it would establish a legally protected community right and support efforts to restore the beach. Green Party campaigner Jane Turner questioned how much additional protection the status would provide, given the beach's existing Site of Special Scientific Interest and international wildlife protections. An independent inspector will make a recommendation to Wirral Council.

Merseyside councils have published notices covering a proposed 20mph speed limit on Liverpool’s Railway Street, the temporary suspension of one-way traffic and closure of George’s Dock Way for district-heating works, and road closures in Bromborough and Bebington. Wirral also announced traffic restrictions for the Pride New Brighton event. Other notices concern alcohol-premises licence applications in Wallasey and Prescot and Kilkern Limited’s application to operate four goods vehicles from a site in Southport. Residents and affected parties are given deadlines to submit objections or representations.

A dispute continues over Wirral Council’s decision to install and lock a large yellow gate on Banks Road at Heswall Foreshore. More than 1,000 people have signed a petition calling for the gate to be reopened, citing its appearance, wheelchair access concerns and disruption to the restoration of a Second World War ship by Ship Happens. The council says the gate is needed to prevent further abandonment of boats and protect the environmentally sensitive foreshore as part of a £200,000 clearance project. It maintains that pedestrian access is preserved and plans to improve the route beside the gate with gravel.

The new £26 million Royal Daffodil ferry is nearing passenger service after Mersey Ferries submitted an alcohol and entertainment licensing application to Wirral Council. Built at Cammell Laird in Birkenhead, the vessel is expected to restore a two-ferry operation alongside Snowdrop, reducing the risk of complete service cancellations caused by faults. The application proposes extended operating hours, alcohol service from 11am to 3am, and live or recorded music until 3am. Crosby Fresh, which recently took over the Discovery Café at Seacombe Ferry Terminal, will provide catering on the new ferry.

Wirral Council has approved plans by The Waterfalls Parlour Ltd to convert the long-vacant public toilet block on Meols Parade into two equal-sized units: an ice cream parlour and a coffee shop. The building was bought for £104,000 at auction, and the approved design includes a service window for the ice cream business. The shops may operate only from 10am to 8pm. Although concerns were raised about competition with a nearby coffee van, the council said competition was not grounds to refuse permission. Public access to the toilets will be left to the future occupiers to decide.

Wirral Council has installed and locked a large yellow gate on Banks Road, Heswall, as part of a £200,000 project to remove abandoned boats from the environmentally protected foreshore and prevent more vessels being left there. More than 50 boats have been removed, but boat restorers Simon and Gemma Robins and Heswall Boat Yard manager Steve Aston say the gate obstructs deliveries, towing operations and access to boats. They also question its effectiveness because most vessels arrived by sea and raise concerns about accessibility on the King Charles III Coastal Path. The council and local councillor Andrew Hodson defend the measure, saying it protects the Dee Estuary’s designated habitats and that pedestrian access remains available on both sides of the gate.

Wirral Council’s Licensing Sub-Committee approved changes to Heswall Golf Club’s premises licence. Alcohol may now be served from 10am, allowing members to celebrate early hole-in-ones, and the licensed area has been expanded from the clubhouse to the wider golf course, including the halfway house and a rarely used drinks buggy. Alcohol sales outside the clubhouse must end at 5pm, while clubhouse sales may continue until midnight from Sunday to Wednesday and until 1am from Thursday to Saturday. The Wirral Way trail remains excluded because it is council-owned land.

A Sainsbury's Local has opened at Wirral Waters, marking a key stage in the area's regeneration. Delivered with Peel Waters, the store supports the Millers Quay development and aims to serve the growing residential community with extended hours and retail services. Sainsbury's and Peel Waters representatives highlighted the investment, job creation, and rapid construction as signs of development momentum. Wirral Council’s leader welcomed the store as an important local amenity reinforcing the neighbourhood’s growth.

A planning application submitted to Wirral Council proposes converting Birkenhead’s Guild Hall on Oliver Street into 19 one- and two-bedroom apartments, including a new third storey made of grey aluminium. Most changes would be internal, with updated like‑for‑like aluminium windows and cycle storage on each floor. The site’s proximity to public transport and local amenities is cited as support for a car‑free development.

Birkenhead has been shortlisted for the first UK Town of Culture award, which carries a £3m grant for cultural programming in 2028. Local councillors and cultural leaders say the accolade would boost national visibility and support ongoing regeneration efforts. Future Yard and the Birkenhead Culture Partnership led the bid with a community‑driven approach, and advocates cite Liverpool’s 2008 Capital of Culture year as a model for potential transformation. Supporters across the Liverpool City Region highlight the town’s heritage, growing vibrancy and community talent as reasons the award could significantly change perceptions and accelerate renewal.

Residents and business owners in New Ferry are campaigning to overturn Wirral Council’s decision to choose a cheaper coloured‑tarmac option for Bebington Road’s regeneration despite 83% public support for a higher‑cost paving‑stone design. The council argues the premium option risks delays, higher maintenance costs and budget overruns, with council leader Paula Basnett citing issues with similar paving elsewhere. Locals, supported by councillor Jo Bird and community activists, have launched a crowdfunded campaign to push for the premium design, which also included cultural features such as a butterfly trail and information boards.

Contractors have returned to the long-delayed £3.6m redevelopment of Hoylake Town Hall, known as The Beacon, marking a significant step forward in a project aimed at delivering a cinema, art studio, restaurant and café. Developer David Burke said technical investigations and planning work have been ongoing despite a lack of visible activity and noted continued collaboration with government and partners. He highlighted strong community support and expressed confidence in the project’s long-term success, though no completion date has been confirmed.

Essential maintenance will close the Queensway Tunnel for five nights in late July, with the Kingsway Tunnel remaining open. Councils across Merseyside issued multiple public notices detailing upcoming road closures, traffic restrictions and maintenance works, as well as several licensing applications affecting businesses in Liverpool, Wirral and Sefton. Additional temporary parking changes, speed restrictions and resurfacing schedules were confirmed, with most works expected to run between July and August 2026, and some lasting up to 18 months depending on project completion timelines.

Traders at Birkenhead Market are divided over the planned relocation to the former TJ Hughes site in the Pyramids Shopping Centre. Many welcome the move, citing low footfall and deteriorating conditions at the current market, while others express concerns about the market layout and a points-based allocation system that some say has left them without stalls. A Wirral Council spokesperson emphasises the importance of the relocation for the town centre’s future and states that decisions were made through a structured assessment, with most traders set to move to the new site by year’s end.

Plans have been submitted to redevelop the former TJ Hughes store into the new Birkenhead Market, with external changes including new entrances and upgraded shopfronts. Work is set to begin this year, and traders are preparing to relocate. Wirral Council leader Paula Basnett praised the project as a key step in revitalising the town centre and supporting long‑standing market traders.

Construction of the new Birkenhead Market will begin shortly at the former TJ Hughes site in the Pyramids shopping centre. Wirral Council approved funding and awarded a pre‑construction agreement to Krol Corlett Construction, with ongoing discussions involving current traders as plans advance. Local officials highlight the project as a key step in revitalizing the town centre, while the construction firm underscores its commitment to preserving the market’s heritage and creating a modern, community‑focused destination.

Government data shows several Wirral neighbourhoods have some of the highest rates of depression in the UK, with residents widely attributing the issue to long-term underinvestment and the decline of local town centres. Birkenhead and surrounding areas report rates nearing 30%, and interviewees link poor job prospects, reduced opportunities for young people and shifts toward large retail hubs such as Liverpool ONE to worsening community morale. Some express cautious optimism about regeneration projects like Wirral Waters.

Construction has begun on the second phase of the Redbridge Quay project at Wirral Waters, delivering 90 new waterside homes in Birkenhead through a partnership between Peel Waters, Qualis Developments and Forshaw Group. The scheme forms part of wider regeneration efforts that include new housing, employment space and community-focused development across the area. Leaders from the partner organisations and Wirral Council emphasise momentum in transforming the waterfront district, with completion expected in winter 2027.

Overnight closures will affect the M53 between junctions 7 and 10 from July 8 to November 27 as part of a three-year National Highways programme. The works include £5.2 million in resurfacing and £455,000 in drainage improvements within a wider £50 million maintenance package and the Government’s five-year Road Investment Strategy. Diversions will be in place, and closures will alternate by direction, typically running from 9pm to 6am.

Planning approval has been granted for the next phase of the £18m MEA Park West scheme at Wirral Waters, enabling the first stage of development to proceed. The project will deliver 171,400 square feet of new industrial, manufacturing and logistics space, creating more than 200 jobs and attracting new investment. Phase one includes a near-45,000-square-foot industrial building with office space, parking, and supporting infrastructure. Peel Waters and Wirral Council leaders said the scheme strengthens the region’s economic potential, supports demand for industrial space, and advances wider regeneration plans within the Liverpool City Region Freeport.

Three convenience stores in Wirral were ordered to close for three months after Trading Standards test purchases and inspections uncovered counterfeit cigarettes, illicit vapes and soft drinks that failed labelling rules. Magistrates issued closure orders for premises in Wallasey and Tranmere following repeated findings of illegal tobacco sales and other violations. Since December, Wirral Council has secured 19 such orders and expects more to follow.