Huge superstore awaits go-ahead

Oct 18 2007 by Liam Murphy, Liverpool Daily Post

WORK on a massive £40m supermarket in the heart of Birkenhead’s shopping centre could start as early as next year.

Developers behind the scheme, which is expected to create 400 jobs, say plans for the huge new foodstore are well developed and just await approval from Government Office North West.

Asda has been earmarked as operator of the 95,000 square foot supermarket which will be built on Grange Road stretching to the car park behind.

A total of 690 car parking spaces will be created with some underneath the new store.

Previous plans for a supermarket to spearhead regeneration at that end of the shopping centre have been upgraded to meet Asda’s requirements.

The scheme was first approved in 2004 but the complexity of building a large superstore in the town centre had delayed work.

Cheshire-based Castlewood Developments are behind the scheme, and one of the company’s owners, Robert Shaw, said the development cost had risen from around £30m to £40m since it was first proposed.

He said: “We are hoping work will start in early 2008, and the idea is the supermarket will complement and boost other stores at the other end of the shopping centre.

“It will bring the benefits of an out-of-town store to the centre of Birkenhead.”

He said the scheme had taken much longer than anyone had expected because it had been important to minimise disruption to existing businesses while work on the new development takes place.

Mr Shaw said: “It’s been a long hard road for the council and ourselves, keeping the town centre going without disrupting things makes it very difficult.”

In 2004 the Daily Post revealed plans for the store to replace a large part of the shopping area at the top of Grange Road and stretching up to Claughton Road, with underground parking spaces to replace those taken up by the store.

Last night, deputy leader of the council Phil Davies said it was fantastic news for Birkenhead and what “we have long wanted”.

He said a meeting of Wirral Council’s cabinet was to be held next week to “tie up loose ends”.

liammurphy