Decision details

Strategic Asset Acquisitions - Europa Building

Decision Maker: Cabinet

Decision status: For Determination

Is Key decision?: No

Is subject to call in?: Yes

Decisions:

GeorgeDavies

 

Councillor George Davies, Cabinet Member - Housing and Community Safety (and Deputy Leader of the Council), Cabinet Member - Transformation said:

 

 

“We have already pledged to create 5,000 new jobs, and to attract a quarter of a billion of new investment into Wirral by 2020.

 

“We are well on the way to achieving those targets, and making investment decisions like this one will help us drive forward the regeneration of major town centres such as Birkenhead – helping to revitalise the town, creating thousands of new jobs and quickening the pace of our exciting regeneration plans for the area.

 

“This is a bold and ambitious move. We are absolutely committed to regeneration in our borough – we will not stop until we have created a thriving local economy, where our residents have opportunity and can access good, high paying jobs on their doorsteps.

 

“This proposal is yet more proof of our commitment to that pledge. Following exciting recent announcements of a state-of-the-art student accommodation development in Hamilton Square, and the plans to open a branch of the world-renowned Eureka Children’s Museum to Wirral, it is clear that we are building real momentum.

 

“Later this year we will announce the next stage in the development of the Wirral Growth Company: a radical and ambitious new venture which will drive forward the redevelopment of many areas of our Borough.

 

“Bringing key sites such as the Europa Building into public ownership will allow us to restore Birkenhead Town Centre back to its former glory in a much quicker timeframe.”

 

Councillor George Davies introduced a report that sought Cabinet approval to acquire a property known as the Europa Building on Europa Square Birkenhead. The report informed that purchase of the building formed part of the Strategic Acquisition Programme that supported the key economic goals and aspirations of the Council as set out in the Strategic Regeneration Framework (SRF) and Wirral Growth Plan.

 

Members noted that the SRF set out the priorities and challenges for economic growth in the borough having particular focus on the areas of Wirral that offered significant growth potential as identified in the Growth Plan. These areas included Birkenhead Town Centre and its hinterlands, Woodside, Wirral Waters and the A41 Corridor including Wirral International Business Park.

 

The report further informed that, specifically for Birkenhead, the ambition was to reinforce its position as Wirral’s main focus for retail and commercial activity. This would be achieved by creating investment opportunities to attract private sector investment providing that would allow Birkenhead to re-establish itself as the principal retail destination for Wirral. Councillor George Davies apprised Members that delivering on the aims and aspirations of the SRF would support the Council’s pledges by helping to create good, high paying job opportunities in support of long term growth aspirations across the whole of the Wirral economy which in turn would benefit all Wirral residents.

 

Cabinet noted that the Europa Building was the first of a number of strategic acquisitions that the Council would undertake to create these opportunities. The strategic case for the acquisition was set out in the report, and commercial details of the proposal were contained in a technical appendix to the report - exempt from publication due to commercial sensitivity considerations under Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

 

RESOLVED: That the Europa Building, Birkenhead be acquired, on the terms reported.

Publication date: 04/12/2017

Date of decision: 27/11/2017

Decided at meeting: 27/11/2017 - Cabinet

Effective from: 12/12/2017

Accompanying Documents: