Table of Contents
Wirral Council has provided an update on plans to create a New York City-inspired park in Birkenhead. Work is underway to finalise a funding grant for the work.
According to Birkenhead News, the £15m Dock Branch Park, inspired by The High Line in Manhattan, would follow the route of a disused Wirral railway line. The trail would link Birkenhead's docks to near Green Lane Merseyrail station, cutting through the town centre on the way.
The train line has been closed since the 1990s.
Plans for the project have been in the works for several years, with an original timeline scheduled for 2024. On the council's website, the scheme is described as "one of the most visual and high-impact features of the Birkenhead 2040 Framework."
A Wirral Council spokesperson said of the grant: "The council is working with the funders to finalise grant funding conditions ahead of entering into a construction contract for the works, with the site remediation to prepare for this being carried out first."
The park is to be split into northern and southern sections. The southern section is due first, as part of the Borough Yard/Hind Street scheme. This will feature a shared walking and cycling route for residents. As well as walking and cycling routes, the southern section is supposed to include new seating areas, landscaping, tree planting, playing areas, and a natural-looking woodland area where children can play. Access to the route will be made possible through sloped and levelled connection points.
Funding for the project will come from a £1.6bn pot given to the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.
The project is a bit ironic, considering Birkenhead Park is said to have inspired Central Park and become one of the Wirral's most proud claims to fame.
