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The Chair noted that an addition to the recommendations in the report had been circulated to Members of the Committee from the Director of Regeneration and Place. The additional recommendation read as follows:

“The Director of Regeneration and Place wishes to make a further recommendation as follows to the above report as a new paragraph 7. Paragraph 7 of the recommendations within the report will be numbered as Recommendation 8:

Other Options

7. Agree that in recognition of recent engagement with Birkenhead Market Traders Association the Director of Regeneration and Place be requested to undertake further feasibility work on both:

a) St John's Pavement to determine whether this is a viable option for market traders; and

 b)  the refurbishment of part of the existing Birkenhead Market.”  

The Assistant Director for Asset Management and Investment presented the report of the Director of Regeneration and Place. The report noted that the current Birkenhead Market Hall was an aging building, operating inefficiently and the Council had been considering options to re-locate the market to an alternative market site for several years. A number of options had been considered and rejected for a variety of reasons detailed in the report, leaving the proposal to relocate the existing market to a new purpose-built market hall on the site of the former House of Fraser Store, as the current option subject to the scheme being delivered to an acceptable design and cost.

The capital cost of delivery for the House of Fraser proposal was at £31.6 million and the emerging funding gap could have had a significant impact on the Councils financial position.

The report noted that the Council acquired the Grange and the Pyramids in May 2023 and as part of the acquisition a strategic review of the vacant sites and sites that could accommodate a market offer to a similar size of the House of Fraser proposal had been undertaken. The report proposed to examine in detail an alternative permanent option in the former Argos Store located in the Grange shopping centre. However, the Council was at an early stage of engagement with new representatives for the market traders and consideration of alternative options was appropriate.

A discussion was had on the rise in costs of the House of Fraser site and the perceived slippage of the offer to traders, the need for further information on the costs involved and the housing requirements involved from grant funding received from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.  Members requested more communication from officers on plans and noted that the original plans for the House of Fraser site were  meant to be a lynchpin for the regeneration of the area. Concerns were raised as to whether the proposed move to the former Argos site would  have the same impact. Members were informed that the number of stalls available at the Argos site was comparable to the House of Fraser site.

Members were informed that Councillor Helen Raymond wished to move an amendment which had been circulated to Members of the Committee.

The meeting adjourned at 19:05

The meeting reconvened at 19:15

A discussion was had on the need for a high-quality market, Members requested information on the number of stalls available for each option, with artist impressions of the sites. They felt that traders should be consulted more. The need for good communication was raised.

A motion was then formally put by Councillor Helen Raymond, Seconded by Councillor Ewan Tomeny:

‘At recommendation 2, Add “current” before “market proposals on the House of Fraser site be paused”.

Add 2b:

Furthermore, the Director of Regeneration and Place is requested to prepare a sufficiently detailed report for members to consider for a new new-build proposal on the House of Fraser site, which takes into account of the original aims outlined in the St Werburgh’s Quarter master plan – including a grant funded residential scheme – within the available Council-controlled budget plus any accessible commercial/third party funding.’

The motion was then put and lost (4:7)

On a motion by the Chair, seconded by Councillor Andrew Hodson to include the additional recommendation from the Director of Regeneration and Place, it was,

Resolved – That

House of Fraser Site

1.  

a.  The work to date to progress the House of Fraser site as the currently agreed location to accommodate the Birkenhead Market (as set out in paragraph 3.7 of the report) be noted.

b.  The inability for the House of Fraser site to provide the previously identified brownfield housing requirement of 89 units as referred to in paragraph 3.11 of this report be noted;

c.  The increased financial envelope required to construct the Birkenhead market on the House of Fraser Site as currently designed, set out in paragraph 3.10 of this report be noted.

2.  Further work on the developing the market proposals on the House of Fraser site be paused at this time whilst the Argos option is considered, noting the 6-month time constraint for a decision on proceeding beyond RIBA Stage 3 for the House of Fraser site as set out in paragraph 5.3 of this report at this time be agreed.

3.  The further work that will be undertaken on the potential future use of the House of Fraser Site, for consideration by this Committee in due course in the event that a future decision not to proceed with the development of a market on the House of Fraser site is made be noted.

Argos Site

4.   The limited work undertaken to date on development of the Argos site option to house a permanent market for Birkenhead as set out in Appendix 1 be noted.

5.   The Director of Regeneration and Place be authorised to proceed with procurement of the RIBA stage 3 design development and appointment of a market consultant to further develop the market option.

6.   The Director of Regeneration and Place will bring forward the outcome of the market feasibility and output of the market consultancy work on the Argos option to a meeting of this Committee in Spring 2024 which will include a full options appraisal on the Argos site and associated financial implications be noted.

Other Options

7.  In recognition of recent engagement with Birkenhead Market Traders Association it be agreed that the Director of Regeneration and Place be requested to undertake further feasibility work on both:

a.  St John's Pavement to determine whether this is a viable option for market traders; and

b.  the refurbishment of part of the existing Birkenhead Market

Wirral Growth Company LLP

8.   Subject to future member decisions on the developer for the market and the advanced state of work on Pasture Road as set out in paragraph 3.24 of the report, it be noted that consideration will need to be given to the future of Wirral Growth Company LLP and a report shall be brought to a future meeting of this Committee accordingly