Brooklyn of Merseyside: plans to build 600-home thriving new Woodside neighbourhood overlooking Liverpool

The area has previously been compared to Brooklyn and Manhattan.

Prima Group, who currently own and manage over 2700 properties in Liverpool, Sefton and Wirral, have provided Wirral Council with an assessment of the potential to develop land at Rose Brae in Wirral. The site is located off Church Street in Woodside, Birkenhead close to Hamilton Square, the Woodside Ferry Terminal, and the waterfront.

The report carried out by Stantec outlines the likely impact on any development on the 2.2 hectare site. There were previously plans to build over 100 homes in 1989 but these plans were never delivered.

The site is a former graving dock that was filled and is “now significantly overgrown with vegetation of low ecological value” though there are “flower-rich” sections. However the report highlights its views to and from the Liverpool waterfront as well as its low risk of flooding.

The historic landfill of the site included industrial waste while the former dock walls were left in place. 18m holes have had to be drilled to find out exactly what is underneath the ground.

Prima’s plans are for the site to be turned into 605 new homes with vehicle access to the north of the site as well as pedestrian access to the west, north, and south alongside cycle access east and west.

The development is expected to deliver buildings up to 70.8m with the tallest residential block located to the north east of the site and smaller buildings proposed to the west.

While no planning permission has been granted for any development of the site, references are made to it in the Woodside masterplan. This masterplan outlines Wirral Council’s guidelines for developments in the area as part of its Local Plan for the borough.

In the masterplan for the area, Woodside was described as “one of the best development sites on the Wirral, if not Merseyside,” adding: “This is Brooklyn to the New York skyline – the great place to live with an amazing view, but so much more.”

The council’s draft masterplan said Woodside could become “a thriving waterfront community” and “represents an exciting opportunity to help shape the future of the waterfront and create a sustainable new community at the heart of the city region.”

Outline plans for Woodside said it could provide around 630 new homes but this could rise to more than 1,700 homes across the whole waterfront and around 2,560 in total more widely if longer term ambitions become reality.

However clearance of the site, which has taken place in 2015 and 2024, has previously been controversial. In 2023, Birkenhead councillor Pat Cleary said work being done to remove plants and trees was “deeply concerning” while Cllr Jo Bird said the site was “getting trashed.”

John Ghader, Prima Group CEO, said at the time: “We always work closely with the relevant authorities on sites like Rose Brae and will only carry out work where permitted. Before work began, an ecologist conducted a site survey, and no endangered species were identified.

“The area was cleared of excessive weeds, shrubbery, and undergrowth. This work did not require any permission before being carried out, which has been confirmed by the local authority. Clearing the area was necessary so that extensive site investigations could take place, allowing us to establish detailed information about the ground conditions and carry out the required topographic surveys.

“These surveys are necessary before any planning application can be considered. We are in regular contact with Wirral Council about Rose Brae. We have kept them regularly updated on how we can bring forward proposals for the site in line with their local plan for the area.”