First phase of Birkenhead town centre regeneration completed following Morgan Sindall Construction’s delivery of council offices
Morgan Sindall Construction has completed its work on two new office buildings on the Wirral – heralding the end of the first phase of regeneration in Birkenhead town centre.
Built on behalf of Wirral Council, two energy-efficient (Grade A BREEAM Excellent-rated) office buildings totalling 150,000 sq ft, were handed over last week by Morgan Sindall and Wirral Growth Company, a 50:50 joint venture partnership between Wirral Council and the national urban regeneration specialist, place-maker Muse which aims to provide local communities with new opportunities and revitalise the built environment through regeneration.
Future proofed workspace
The two offices were forward funded by Canada Life Asset Management with £75 million investment. The buildings will provide tenants with a premium, future proofed workspace designed to WELL accredited standards which means the environment will be monitored to support health and wellbeing via air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, and comfort; the goal being to enhance overall performance and mental wellbeing of its occupants. Enhanced outdoor spaces will also connect residents to open, adaptable spaces, along with opportunities for pop-up events, boosting Birkenhead's daytime and evening economies.
Wirral Council will occupy a number of floors in one of the buildings.
Social Value Highlights
In addition to the scheduled delivery of these buildings Morgan Sindall has already enabled significant social impact through its Social Value Plan as evidenced by the figures achieved against its target Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), some of which have been exceeded by more than 200%.
- 864 Apprentice weeks
- 465 NVQ support weeks
- 1048 Employment support beneficiaries
- 279 Work placement weeks
- 1084 Hours volunteering in the community
- 34 People from disadvantaged groups supported into work
- 568 Students engaged at the Knowledge Quad
Some of the people supported via our social value plan
Ben who is one of 9 care leavers supported through the project is now undertaking a Traineeship with Leach Steel
Lois who had fallen out of mainstream education, undertook a 6 month work experience placement through the Liverpool Education Partnership. She passed her maths GCSE and is now studying to be a quantity surveyor at college
Chris was facing homelessness and has now been able to turn his life around via the Weapons Down Gloves Up programme, supported by paid work on the project
Tom and Josh are both undertaking project initiated apprenticeships with Cara Brickwork
Hundreds of Wirral Met College students benefited from our education partnership hosted at the onsite Knowledge Quad
Richard Potts, Morgan Sindall Construction’s area director for the Liverpool City Region, said:
It’s been an honour for our team to help create two new Grade A offices for Birkenhead and help fulfil this key element of the Council’s vision for the town. This is a scheme that will generate long-term growth and prosperity in Birkenhead, and from our appointment to handover we were focussed on ensuring the local community benefited every step of the way. As a result, our work on this brilliant project has resulted in a tangible skills and employment boost for Birkenhead.”
Steven Knowles, Director of Development Management, Muse, said:
We’re creating real change in Birkenhead town centre through an innovative and ambitious masterplan. Phase one has been delivered, while phase two will see the creation a vibrant new market hall for Birkenhead. Canada Life Asset Management’s inward investment into Wirral demonstrates the strength and potential of what we’re creating here and further cements our commitment to delivering a vibrant town centre. Most importantly, the completion of phase one in this development signals the beginning of a new era of businesses coming together with well-designed workplaces that value the importance of well-being.”
Councillor Paul Stuart, Leader of Wirral Council said:
Our partnership with Muse and Morgan Sindall, through the Wirral Growth Company, has already exceeded our ambitious targets against our Employment & Skills Plan which has made a genuine difference to some of our most disadvantaged residents. Specifically, the support provided to our Children and Young People department should be held up as best practice. It’s essential that large scale regeneration projects are so much more than simply ‘bricks and mortar’ – there is much to celebrate with the achievements made here that I hope we can take forward to motivate and inspire others.”
The Mayor of Wirral, Councillor Jerry Williams, commented:
The completion of these offices is a great moment in our town’s history, a physical statement of progress with our town centre plans which form part of the wider Birkenhead 2040 Framework, a twenty-year plan that will see the creation of new family-friendly neighbourhoods, beautiful green public spaces and parks. It will see Birkenhead’s revitalised town centre re-connected with the amazing opportunities along the Mersey waterfront and make the most of the town’s iconic heritage and buildings.”
Michael White, Head of UK Property at Canada Life Asset Management, comments:
We are really pleased to have provided the finance for this development which forms part of Wirral Council’s wider regeneration plans in Birkenhead. The two office buildings will provide the Wirral with gold."