First new striking red ‘Row Houses’ revealed at Wirral Waters development

The Wirral Waters project to provide 13,500 homes in Birkenhead over the next 25 years is continuing apace.

We gave you a sneak peak inside some of the houses as construction began last year and now some of the striking red Row Houses are beginning to take shape.

Built in the East Float neighbourhood of the development, the designers say the brightly coloured properties are inspired by the cranes and bascule bridges of the Birkenhead Dock system.

By April, buyers should be able to  move into the first 30 homes at the East Float on Birkenhead’s Tower Road.

What’s been said

Liverpool-based architectural studio shedkm designed the homes and director Ian Killick explained: “We’ve been inspired by local aesthetics here – hence why they are clad in bright red profiled metal.

“We also wanted to provide a contrast to the neighbouring Town House homes. The result is a colourful heart to the new East Float community that we’re extremely proud of.”

What is Wirral Waters?

Wirral Waters is an ambitious £4.5 billion scheme to transform the Left Bank of the River Mersey and regenerate a series of dock spaces in the area.

It will provide residential housing, commercial properties, office space, a Marine Energy and Automotive Park (MEA Park), bars, restaurants and other leisure facilities.

The East Float neighbourhood is just one part of the development.

The East Float neighbourhood

East Float, a joint venture between Peel L&P and Urban Splash, will contain 350 homes once it is completed.

Two types of homes will be built at East Float, ‘Row House’ homes and ‘Town House’ homes.

The Row House homes are designed to look like modern mews style homes, or ‘urban cottages’.

At Wirral Waters, they come in three sizes; a two-bedroom, two-storey home, a three-bedroom, two-and-a-half storey home with a roof terrace, and the largest, a four-bedroom, three-storey home.

The homes were made at Urban Splash’s factory in the East Midlands, before being delivered to Wirral by road.

Also available at the site are three-storey town houses.

Green spaces and transport connections

A key part of Wirral Waters according to the developers is green space and a cycling and walking infrastructure.

Particularly “last mile connectivity” so that people wanting to get to Hamilton Square station for trains to the rest of Wirral and beyond do not have to drive.

Several green spaces and shared gardens are also being created within Wirral Waters, something which will help reduce flood risk not only along Tower Road, but in other parts of Birkenhead as well.

There is also planning permission for a ‘Greenway’ walkway and off-road cycle route along the north side of Beaufort Road and the east side of Wallasey Bridge Road.

The new plan will help people to travel around Wirral Waters in an eco-friendly way.

The Greenway will be separated from the road by a corridor, incorporating trees and a wildflower meadow.