03 10 goals 21 Chapter Three 10 goals 10 Goals Vision and 10 Goals: Delivering the sustainable communities agenda 3.1 The Wirral Waters ‘Neighbourhoods and Cu Quarters’ and ‘City Structure’ approach set ry lture live and in place the starting point for the Vision. De He rita The scale of the ambition, the 30+ year ge ust Celebr timescale for delivery and the ability of Peel rob ating A ry sha the live ping pa Holdings to co-ordinate the delivery of Wirral de k the st wor fut , net ure Waters with other energy, waste, transport C n i io A ty and regeneration projects within the Ocean t n s ta i c Gateway, present the opportunity to create a l r n a u e te p s e e c c r g ir it o n e truly unique, sustainable, exemplar project. n a y g a o g p n s w ti C n in a is o E te a n d r b a 3.2 In considering how to provide solutions n f l l a r e ly 1 0 1 o n to the wider regeneration challenges in t the immediate locality, an approach was required that: l o s y 9 2 t n r p g u s s e t • Responds to all aspects of the s - t e S c n t n a S c e n e e o r i a e r sustainable communities agenda in t o l c q t m i c n s c t p a u t u g t s n promoting housing and economic growth e s s i g r e 1 t n t u i y n n o k s l i 2 c c t r g d e a i c a a e t n 8 3 a d e • Considers how Wirral Waters will e h a g y f m t s r C o s r act as a trigger for regeneration in C d , o n f Wirral and wider City Region a r e 3.3 In consultation with Wirral MBC and other r g A , i 7 4 e t stakeholders, the Wirral Waters Team has o n ic n r n n a a e m I e n l x a h o translated all aspects of the sustainable r e n s i e e u e g s n m y o v d r h e communities agenda into 10 Goals that o p e t r u ir la A t s In r o r 6 p a ty 5 p i are tailored and specific to this project. f c n s l i r e m o c a r ra h e p ir e s s n th r tr t W f e u o n 3.4 The 10 Goals are explored through this c rt tu S s a Chapter and considered in further. Together r pr ha las P e os ring ld c , per Wor ons with the Wirral Waters ‘Neighbourhoods an ity, h ecti l d w ealth conn r al and Quarters’ and ‘City Structure’ they ell-b s fo eing cces provide the overarching vision within which a more detailed ideas and concepts, and Co re mm ctu un Stru individual projects, can be considered for ity City Catalyst and Partnership Neighbourhoods. 22 Celebrating the past, shaping 01 places for the future Creating an internationally 02 recognisable city waterfront Creating places of distinction, destinations and market concepts 03 for the 21st century Creating a dynamic, prosperous Inner Wirral at the heart of the 04 City Region Creating world class connections, 05 and access for all Sharing prosperity, health 06 and well-being Creating an exemplar regional 07 environment resource Securing long term success, 08 starting today 0 200 400 600 800 1000m n Scale 1:15000 @A3 Central Park Engage and inspire Bidston Moss Bidston 9 09 Dock 6 River Streets 2 NORTHBANK WEST FLOAT N EAST FLOAT ORT HBANK A robust delivery network SKY CITY 5 VITTORIA DOCK VITTORIA STUDIOS 1 FOUR BRIDGES Marina 4 10 MARINA VIEW 8 3 River Mersey 23 7 Birkenhead Park Birkenhead Town Centre & Hamilton Quarter 2.1 URBAN DESIGN FRAMEWORK - Character & Neighbourhood Identity Neighbourhoods & Quarters City Structure 5 Duke Street (Parkway) Western Approaches West Float Twelve Quays (Northside) East Float (Quarters) Rivers Streets (Quarters) 1 City Boulevard 6 Poulton Bridge (Parway) Sky City Marina View Poulton Bridge Bidston Moss Northside Twelve Quays (Southside) 2 Northside Boulevard 7 Conway Park Curves Vittoria Dock Four Bridges St Jame’s Park Valley Road Southside Conway Park 3 Vittoria Studios North Bank Woodside Boulevard 8 Town Boulevards (Laird Town Plan) The Points Bidston Dock & Scotts Quay Woodside 4 Tower Street (Parkway) 9 Western Approaches and Gateways Poulton Bridge 30.13.0812.07 FilepathI:\Manchester_Jobs\PEEM1030 I:\Manchester_Jobs\PEEM1030 - Wirral Docks\2-Graphics\03Docks\2-Graphics\03 Strategic Framework\Vision\2Framework\Vision\2. Wirral Wirral Waters Waters Frameworks\1 Frameworks\2 Urban Urban Design Design Frameworks\1.1 Frameworks Character Framework\ai ai Celebrating the past, 01 shaping places for the future The scale and drama of the ‘Great Today Floats’ is unique. They remain 3.01.1 The Great Floats are stunning. 3.01.6 Their drama and scale is somewhat as a powerful reminder of the Whether glimpsing a view passing undermined by the inappropriate scale historic role of docks as a seam along the enclosing dock roads, or and quality of piecemeal development seeing a framed panora when crossing along the River Birket corridor. of innovation and enterprise, the Bascule Bridges, they form a most memorable visual event. 3.01.7 The opportunity is to reveal these connecting the surrounding underlying distinctive qualities, allow neighbourhoods together. 3.01.2 It is their unique scale and meandering them to shape the future identity of nature that makes them so memorable. Wirral Waters and reconnect with the Due to their pivotal location, scale In comparison to other dock systems, ambitions and vision of the past. which are often reclaimed from the banks and prominence they are well of a wide estuary, the Great Floats’ placed to act as the focus for a are shaped by the sanious alignment of the River Birket. This is the river new city waterfront. They provide inlet and tributary to the Mersey which a useful ‘stepping stone’ that is was contained to form the docks. capable of reconnecting the Wirral 3.01.3 The construction of the Great Floats is peninsula, the Laird Town Plan and intrinsically linked to the construction of the visionary and pioneering Laird the River Mersey ‘City Reaches’. Town Plan. The Floats form the northern edge of the Laird Town – anchored We want to celebrate the diversity by the streets connecting them to and wealth of underlying Wirral Birkenhead Park and Hamilton Square. peninsula and Laird Town identities 3.01.4 The Laird Town gridiron, with its subtle to shape and inform new identities deflections and deviations, and the meandering Great Floats, are the that are distinctly ‘of this place’. culmination of a global vision fashioned by local geography, topography, geology, economics and politics. In this regard, they are distinctly ‘of Wirral’ and ‘of this place’. 3.01.5 Whilst the underlying fabric of the docks and the Laird Town of the gridiron infrastructure are present and intact, they remain masked by the incremental erosion of their fabric and the encroachment of poor quality industrial development. 24 1. Bascules Bridge: Duke Street 2. Bascule Bridge, Birkenhead Docks, 2009 1 2 3. Grain Warehouses 4. East Float, 1890s 3 4 25 Wirral Peninsula 3.01.8 The Wirral Peninsula is full of contrasts, with an enduring imbalance between the Wirral Peninsula sought after west and the more deprived and less well recognised east. 3.01.9 Wirral for 150 years has been recognised for its fine landscape and recreational assets, experiences and lifestyles. Its established residential neighbourhoods overlooking the Dee Estuary are highly sought after, and its recreational havens and natural landscapes receive international recognition, including the River Mersey ‘City Reach’ hosting of the Open Golf Championship. These inherent landscape assets continue to attract inward investment and interest. 3.01.10 In contrast, the landscape and recreational assets of east Wirral are contained to its promenades, parks and natural outcrops and features – most notably Bidston Hill and the more recent Bidston Moss. These assets are masked by deprivation and physically, by the more extensive and overwhelming industrial buildings, structures and vacant and underused land. The poor social-economic and physical fabric continue to deter inward investment and confidence. 3.01.11 The Great Floats remain as prominent reminders of the fractured connections to the wider Wirral Peninsula and the underlying landscape identity of the River Birket corridor. Looking more closely, there are further clues. 3.01.12 The ‘northbank’ has a distinct identity with its meandering alignment and winding historic routes linking west Wirral to River Mersey ferries and waterfront. The ‘southside’ is defined by the structure and order of the Laird Town gridiron and associated development parcels 3.01.13 Our vision is to bring the historically 1 2 recognised lush landscape identity of the Wirral Peninsula into the heart the City Region to reveal the underlying 3 landscape identity of the River Birket landscape and the contrasting identities of the northern and southern ‘riverbanks’. 1. Birkenhead Docks, 1850 2.