East Float forms the heart of the Wirral Waters regeneration project. It forms one of the catalyst neighbourhoods across the Birkenhead Docks where major redevelopment and investment is being focused.

The Vision for East Float is to establish a series of five quarters within East Float – SkyCity, Northbank West, Northbank East, Marina View and Vittoria Studios. Proposals for Northbank East have already been approved.

The remaining East Float quarters are to be the subject of one of the largest planning applications ever made, to be submitted in December 2009. This application will seek to create a new mixed-use development comprising residential units, office space, retail, hotel and conference facilities together with culture, education, leisure, community and amenity floorspace.

Each of these quarters will have an individual and clear approach to uses and activities in response to the characteristics of each locality to make the new communities within East Float truly sustainable. 

The scale of investment means that there will be major new employment opportunities for local people. The major challenge is how to get the long term unemployed and those with no qualifications or experience into work. We are working with the Council and local skills/training/education agencies to make sure that the local population provides as many workers as possible for East Float, both during construction and once built.

Peel is looking at the long term future of Birkenhead and recognises that Wirral Waters will only be a success if the area is successfully regenerated. Nonetheless, special conditions and obligations will be imposed on Peel through the planning permission, that require measures to be undertaken to ensure that the local community will benefit. 

Directly, East Float will cost the taxpayer virtually nothing. It is largely being financed by Peel, and most of the public funds that are available come from the Government and the EU, and would be spent in other areas if they are not secured for East Float.

Indirectly, we expect East Float to create prosperity locally, opening up major new opportunities for business and enterprise, increasing the incomes and prosperity of local communities.

No, the West Float area, Twelve Quays and Cammell Laid (as well as other parts of the Port across the Mersey) will remain in port use. We will be seeking to relocate businesses within the East Float into vacant and under-used land in the West Float, to free up land for the proposals. Local businesses will not bear the costs of this, such that there should be no reason why Wirral Waters will affect the numbers of people they employ. In fact, Peel hopes to use the relocations to improve the premises and facilities of port businesses, such that they might become more competitive and take on more workers.

Additionally, across the River, Peel is investing in the new Post-Panamax facility at Seaforth, which will create thousands of jobs (indirectly) in the maritime sector.

It is true that there are presently more apartments in Liverpool city centre than the market can sustain. Peel consider that this is partly because people do not have access to the finance they need, partly because too many have been built too quickly, and partly because many apartment schemes suffer a combination of poor quality design, poor community infrastructure, overpricing and a poor environment. However, in Wirral there are very few apartments and that the ‘new urban living’ market has not yet been realised. National demographics tell us that more and more people are living on their own, so the demand for smaller living spaces will only grow.

At East Float, we want to create a new market for inner Wirral, building on the fantastic wider setting (beaches, countryside, attractive, high value villages), putting in the right infrastructure which will attract people to a place not just a flat, delivering a quality of development that will speak for itself and creating innovative living spaces that will meet the demands of the 21^st century with the ability to deliver local facilities for existing and new communities, improved connections and a diversity of homes.

It is likely that much of East Float will be private housing, sold to private individuals. We do not yet know the prices, particularly given the credit crunch. We are of course aiming to attract successful business people to live, work and invest in the East Float quarters and the housing products will be aimed as high as possible. Those on good incomes should be able to afford properties at East Float, and in bringing new jobs and economic opportunities to inner Wirral, we hope that many of those jobs will go to local people and that they will choose to live within East Float.

Peel is also conscious of the need to provide subsidized or affordable housing as part of its proposals, but is mindful of the major cost of providing this and the need to ensure that we not provide a similar housing offer to the adjoining Housing Market Renewal areas. We do not want East Float to undermine the work that Wirral Council and others are doing in these areas. We are therefore working closely with Wirral Council and government agencies to look at when, where, how much, what type and how affordable housing can be funded.

In particular, the areas around the docks, considered as a key part of the overall strategy, represent a major opportunity to bring new investment in housing and employment, triggered through the major investment in East Float. 

Peel already has planning permission for Northbank East, granted in August 2009. Members of Wirral’s planning committee resolved to grant detailed planning permission for plot 1, closest to the Grain Warehouses, and outline permission for plots 2-5 of Northbank East. This permission is for the first housing and commercial space on the north side of East Float, just next to the Grain Warehouses. Unfortunately due to the recession this project is not viable at present, but we aim to start on site with this project as soon as market conditions improve to the point of making the project viable.

Peel also has planning permission for the conversion of the former Hydraulic Tower to a restaurant and a new build hotel next to it. We have however included the Hydraulic Tower site in the planning application for East Flat that is about to be submitted, to ensure it is part of the masterplan and that other uses can potentially be brought forward.

The proposals for Bidston Dock will be brought forward separately in the next few months.

Yes, we want to know what the people of Wirral think. East Float will be as much your project as Peel’s, and it won’t happen without the support of the community.

Wirral Council will be consulting shortly on the East Float application, but this is your opportunity to make your comments known to the developer. We will share all comments with the Council, unless you specifically do not wish your individual comments to be shared. 

No. Whilst we see both projects as one, equal partners creating and international city waterfront together,both projects will be progressed at their own individual pace. We are 100% committed to both projects, but have been making more progress in gaining permission for early phases in Wirral due to the less constrained nature of the site, and also the positive support of local people and the Council. Wirral Waters and East Float therefore stand every chance of happening before Liverpool Waters and capturing investment in the coming years. We also think that there is room enough for both schemes over their lifetime.

Although we are now in a period of uncertainty due to the credit crunch, the wider economy is largely healthy and the Liverpool/Wirral economy will only grow in the longer term. This will mean that what has traditionally been regarded as the ‘economic core’ i.e. Liverpool city centre, will need to grow. We see that growth occurring north along Liverpool docks and across the water in Birkenhead / Wirral Waters.

Peel aims to create a sustainable development exemplar at East Float, using the latest technology and best practice to minimize the effects of the development on the environment, in particular the amount of carbon (CO2) produced. The scale of East Float, and Peel’s interests in renewable energy, waste management and utilities, should allow sustainable technologies to be achieved that would not be feasible on a smaller scheme.

Sustainability and eco-friendly considerations are changing all the time. Peel has not yet identified the detail of what will be done when, as this will come through more detailed implementation. There will also be a cost attached with ‘going green’ which will need to be factored in. It is therefore likely to be a phased approach over time.

The docks are a hugely untapped resource. At present, they do not employ many people. We aim to create over 25,000 jobs through East Float.

The only reason to retain the docks would be if they were contributing an important role in the logistics/freight industry. However, Birkenhead Docks is not an ideal area for the growth of the port industry, whereas it is ideal for mixed-use regeneration.

We will be ensuring that existing businesses which require a port location are relocated into vacant and under-used space within the adjoining West Float, and indeed are working with Wirral Council on a funding application to held with the costs of preparing land within West Float.

Peel and its team has consulted extensively with various departments at Wirral Council about the best strategy for making sure that the deprived areas around the docks benefit from the proposals. Nobody wants to see an island development and no benefit to surrounding communities. It is in Peel’s direct interest to reduce the level of deprivation around its investment.

The approach is therefore to establish a Strategic Regeneration Framework for the whole area, which consists of 14 different “neighbourhoods” in and around the docks. Each will feature different characteristics and will have a different role in responding positively to Wirral Waters, for example new and improved routes/connections, new development opportunities or the ongoing improvement of existing housing or business. In addition to this “spatial” approach, there will be host of strategies for tackling issues of skills/training, enterprise/business, retail/leisure and other issues to ensure that East Float truly becomes a regeneration exemplar.

A major issue for the Liverpool City Region over past few decades has been a decline in population. People have voted with their feet and moved away from the area in their thousands. East Float which forms a key part of Wirral Waters provides the opportunity to attract and retain residents.

Peel are working with the Council and specialist property agents to understand what types of homes are needed to attract new residents seeking jobs, retain existing families and residents, and encourage those who have moved away from Wirral to return.

At present, there is a limited choice of waterside residential developments along the River Mersey Wirral Waterfront. Many residents seeking this type of development move ‘over the water’ or further afield.

Many residents from Wirral also move away to take up jobs and training –particularly young people. A significant percentage do not return, often due to the limited and/or expensive nature of the existing housing offer. It is envisaged that East Float will provide a diverse range of homes and a distinctive lifestyle offer not available at present. This will encourage residents to remain in or return to Wirral.

Yes, the range of employers and types of job that Peel are looking to create will provide a wide choice of jobs for local people.

Peel are proud of their track record in creating opportunities for local people, including training to apply and secure a job, and further training to continue to learn and progress when in employment. Peel recognise that the success, quality and experience of its developments depends to a large degree on the quality of the workforce and as such is committed to improving skills and ‘know how’ of local employees.

Peel have a proven record in delivering local jobs for local people over a long period – as witnessed in the past at the Trafford Centre and Liverpool John Lennon Airport. We are currently undertaking a similar approach at MediaCityUK in Salford. Peel are committed to delivering the same success for East Float and are working with Wirral Council, local colleges and agencies to put in place training and assistance to link new jobs with local communities.

The retail located at East Float will be function as a result of the employment and residential development at East Float, known as ‘ancillary development’. It will be less than 10% of the total development at East Float.

At Bidston Dock, the proposal is to create a new retail and leisure ‘destination’ that attracts people to the area who would presently not come, and to offer a very different type of retail and leisure experience to anything presently availably on the Wirral.

The retail offer for Wirral Waters will be very different to the role of Birkenhead Town Centre, and will seek to both differentiate itself and complement the town centre. The key point for Birkenhead Town Centre is that its catchment population has been declining and becoming economically more fragile. With proposals to improve connections to Birkenhead Town Centre, East Float provides the opportunity to increase the number of shoppers in close proximity to the town centre, thus helping to sustain the Centre itself. Wirral Waters will trigger a local population increase and strengthening of the local economy, resulting in more spending power in the area.

Wirral Waters is a 30 to 40 year vision and, based upon economic cycles over the past 30 to 40 years, will inevitably pass through a number of economic downturns. With regard to the current economic downturn, the most recent forecasts suggest a recovery commencing during 2010.

It is anticipated that the first phases of East Float, in particular Northbank East, will begin construction on site in 2010/11 by which time it is expected that the economy will be in recovery.

Peel are looking to attract big employers not currently well represented within the Wirral and the region, in particular central government relocations and new investment into the UK from ‘growth economies’ – in particular China and the Middle East.

Having planning permissions in place, together with supportive local authorities and communities are essential requirements to convince these parties to consider locating in Wirral Waters. As such, it is essential that East Float is supported by local residents and businesses.

Peel have also started the process, working with Wirral Council and specialist property agents, to raise the profile of the project on the European and international platform and responses to date are positive. This is aided by Peels reputation and track record of the ‘art of the possible’, the most recent and notable example being MediaCityUK in Salford, where Peel, working together with the local authority and urban regeneration company, have convinced the BBC to relocate key departments from London to Salford.

Peel already has planning permission for Northbank East, granted in August 2009. This permission is for the first housing and commercial space on the north side of East Float, just next to the Grain Warehouses. We aim to start on site with this project as soon as market conditions and funding availability allow.. We have applied to the Government for gap funding to help kick start this project.

Peel are also committing significant resources to the wider Wirral Waters project, together with other projects along the Mersey corridor. The scale of investment in transport, energy and waste, and development projects is huge – a long term commitment to the future growth of the region. This investment is a demonstration of Peel’s confidence in the deliverability of the scale and ambition of the proposals. Put simply, Peel would not be spending significant sums of money at a very difficult time unless it was fully intending to bring the project forward as soon as possible. It would have been easy for Peel to ‘mothball’ Wirral Waters, as many developers have done to similar projects elsewhere, and come back to them after the recession. We have however maintained our commitment.

The Peel projects are also central to the delivery of local, regional and national government agendas. The most recent example is the inclusion of Wirral Waters as a key part of the Liverpool/Wirral/Peel ‘Mersey Heartlands’ Growth Point - delivering thousands of additional homes across Inner Wirral and Liverpool central.

Wirral Council is working in partnership with Peel to make sure that all opportunities and issues are being considered in full. The Council is also considering how those areas adjacent to East Float may change, to enable adjacent residential and business communities to share in the benefits of Peel investments.

Wirral Council also have a key role to play in supporting the proposal, a key requirement in convincing potential investors to discuss ideas further. They are also best placed to understand the needs of the community and to apply for new sources of funding not available to private sector companies. This is already happening, with Wirral Council successfully securing new central government money for ‘Growth Points’ through a joint bid with Peel and Liverpool City Council.

The support of Wirral Council is very much a reflection of the overwhelming public support given by the public to the launch of the proposals in 2006. If you support the proposals, letting your Councillor and Council officers know will enable the Council to support the proposals further. 

No. East Float will be a genuinely mixed used development and is a ‘trigger’ neighbourhood for making Inner Wirral a better place to live, work and visit. The proposed tall buildings and higher density development will require new ways of thinking about buildings, park and garden designs to deliver high quality new workplaces to attract business occupiers and a variety of homes, including opportunities for families. These issues are being considered by the Team and Wirral Council.

It is important to recognise that East Float is being progressed in partnership with Wirral Council Housing officers. The positive benefits of the East Float proposals provide the opportunity to think about how existing neighbourhoods next to the proposals may change in the future. There is a real opportunity to improve family housing. Together, the homes provided at East Float and improvements to the adjacent areas will provide a wider choice of new and improved homes to make the new communities truly sustainable.

West Float, Twelve Quays and Cammell Laird will remain as Port-related areas and Peel will continue to invest in them.

Peel owns the Manchester Ship Canal, Liverpool John Lennon Airport and a number of Ports along the River Mersey and in other parts of the UK. We are investing in the future of the Port and are increasing the amount of freight and passengers passing through the port. This is necessary to make sure that the Port remains competitive with other Ports in the south of England and is attractive to global shipping companies. Larger port facilities are being built in Seaforth, as shipping companies continue to favour larger vessels. Peel are fully committed to the long term future of the Port and jobs.

The wider plans for Wirral Waters are to reuse vacant and underused sites, in sustainable locations that benefit transport strategies focusing on public transport, walking and cycling. It is recognised however that the proposals will place additional strains on transport systems and as such there will need to be significant transport infrastructure improvements and interventions, in particularly to rail (including park and ride), bus and ferry services. A range of potential infrastructure improvements have already been highlighted as part of our involvement in the successful Mersey Heartlands New Growth Point bid. In line with the latest Government agenda on transport our strategies will also include demand management and the encouragement of smarter travel through Travel Plans.

In developing more detailed proposals for the various quarters of East Float, the mix of uses proposed will provide ease of access to everyday destinations such as local shops, community facilities and employment opportunities, thus minimising the need for cars. If trips need to be made the strategy is to ensure these can be made by public transport, thus reducing car dependence.

Connecting new communities at East Float to wider facilities by linking into public transport systems and making best use of the highway network and the integrated transport system will make the communities within East Float truly sustainable.

The approach is in line with the Government’s move away from predicting traffic and providing the infrastructure to cope with it. We do however recognise there will need to be essential improvements to the highway network, both to create additional capacity and to give priority to public transport.

In applying for planning permission for large projects, developers must set out how they will manage traffic, dust and noise and agree their proposals with the Council and others. During construction, the Council will be monitoring the developer and contractors to ensure agreements are followed.

Examples from similar projects include using water to dampen materials that may blow off the site, using mufflers to control the noise of machinery and agreeing working hours outside of which the contractor may only do certain types of work.

As Wirral Waters is to be developed over 30 to 40 years, Peel will be working hard to make sure that new residents, employers and visitors experience a high quality environment. As such, Peel will be looking to keep dust and noise to a minimum.

The waterside setting and public transport access at East Float lend themselves very well to tall buildings. In fact, without tall buildings, it is difficult to see how the numbers of jobs and new homes and the increased activity needed to transform inner Wirral can be created. Tall buildings are also beacons of regeneration, symbols of success. They inspire investment confidence. We think they are essential for Wirral and Liverpool Waters. Low rise buildings simply will not create the profile or achieve the critical mass of investment that the area needs, and are less likely to support new transport and other types of services.

As regards terrorist threats, the buildings will be designed using the latest engineering and technology to ensure that they are as safe as possible. 9/11 has not stopped tall buildings being constructed around the world.