Welcome to Sunday Snippets, a weekly feature from Birkenhead News. It is a round-up of the important local news stories you may have missed over the last seven days. Click or tap on each story to read the full article.
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People in a town centre described as dead remain hopeful that things could still be turned around after £20m was announced for the area.
This week, the UK Government announced 25 trailblazer neighbourhoods which will each receive up to £20m over the next decade as part of a new fund to drive change in areas.
Though more details are yet to be published, the government said the money will “support communities to drive forward the changes they want to see in their neighbourhoods”, including “improvements people can see on their doorstep, champion local leadership, foster community engagement and strengthen social cohesion”.
Merseyrail has been recognised as the UK’s top train operator, achieving the highest overall customer satisfaction rating in the latest Transport Focus Rail User Survey.
With an outstanding overall satisfaction score of 93%, Merseyrail has reclaimed its position as the leading train operator for customer satisfaction in the UK, according to the survey conducted by independent transport watchdog, Transport Focus.
The city region’s rail operator also achieved the highest satisfaction rating in the country for punctuality and reliability, with a score of 89%.
The owner of a New Brighton landmark has said that he is hoping “to bring life” to a fort that has stood for nearly 200 years.
Fort Perch Rock is one of New Brighton’s most famous buildings and actually pre-dates the seaside resort. Constructed with Runcorn sandstone, its walls range from 24ft to 32ft in height, while its towers are 40ft high.
Built between 1825 and 1829 as a coastal defence battery to protect the Port of Liverpool, the now Grade II listed building acts as a tourist attraction with an escape room, museum, and a café.
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A Wirral family have sold their “beloved business” after 15 years of joy and “unforgettable memories”.
Hannah Cleator and her family have sold popular waterfront bistro, Tanskey’s, and are passing the business onto Head Chef, Jonathan Green, and Maureen Hanson, who say it’s ‘a dream come true’ to be taking ownership.
Located on West Kirby promenade with stunning views over to Wales, Tanskey’s has become one of Wirral’s most popular destinations for breakfast, brunch, lunch, events, and private hire.
Disgusting images show cockroaches found scattered around a Wirral shop, which led to inspectors calling for urgent action to be taken.
A representative for the Sham Shop in Birkenhead said they were now closed, but this was due to roadworks in the area.
A letter sent on 25 February, and seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) following a Freedom of Information request, said Wirral Council food hygiene inspectors had visited the business on Grange Road West on three occasions.
Plans have been submitted for a new Wirral school, with work expected to start later this year.
The Mosslands School was one of two in Wirral earmarked to be rebuilt in 2022 with funding paid for by the Department for Education (DfE). The current cost of the project is expected to be just under £58m and will see an entire redevelopment of the school site.
The new school will be built to the south of the existing school site, which will enable Mosslands to continue operating in its current buildings while works take place.
A massive investment in an area of Wirral could help children go to the beach for the very first time.
Further investment has been earmarked for the Woodchurch estate as part of a £1.6bn package announced for the Liverpool City Region by the government.
Alongside the roll out of a publicly owned bus network, funding was announced to build a new Woodchurch railway station, which has been sought after for more than a decade.
A once-loved centre that was left to fall into a state of disrepair will be sold off as councillors warned “the chickens have come home to roost”.
The Heswall Day Centre on Telegraph Road was one of nine facilities providing adult social care services during the day in Wirral. It shut its doors last year due to a heating failure with the building left in a dilapidated condition.
The service helped support 52 adults who have since been moved to other facilities. A survey carried out by Wirral Council found it would cost at least £500,000 to bring it back into use and £5.6m for a full refurbishment, something the cash-strapped authority said it can’t afford.
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One of Colombia’s most celebrated music collectives are heading to Wirral this month.
Systema Solar, known for turning stages into explosive carnival-like celebrations, will land in Birkenhead for a rare UK performance at Future Yard, armed with their highly anticipated new album Futuro Primitivo.
Systema Solar is not your average band, they’re an artistic force. Formed in 2006 during an art biennial in Medellín, the collective was born from a collision of music, visual art, and social commentary.
Wirral Council has been issued with a new notice highlighting three areas of urgent action needed to avoid government intervention.
Despite ongoing issues, the local authority was told it had a “reinvigorated and more ambitious intent” to improve.
In May 2024, the Department for Education published an improvement notice ordering the local authority and local NHS to take action due to “poor progress” and 10 areas of “significant concern” in the services they provide for young people and children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Swedish ferry company, Stena Line is investing £17 million into developments at the 12 Quays Terminal in Birkenhead to futureproof the operations by increasing freight parking capacity and improving traffic flow.
The 12 Quays Terminal in Birkenhead has become a key hub for Stena Line. In February 2024, Stena Line launched a new Liverpool – Dublin freight-only service, which has resulted in a significant increase in freight traffic through the terminal.
An additional 200 freight parking spaces are already complete and have boosted capacity for unaccompanied freight in the port by almost 30%.
A Wirral Indian restaurant has been slapped with a zero food hygiene rating after being told “major improvement” is needed in three areas.
The Indian Hive based on Poulton Road in Wallasey was given the worst possible rating by food hygiene inspectors on 24 April.
The takeaway is the latest zero rating given out by Wirral Council’s environment health officers after four other businesses received poor ratings earlier this year.
Councillors Ed Lamb and Gail Jenkinson have been unanimously elected as co-leaders of Wirral Green Group of Councillors, as councillors Pat Cleary and Jo Bird step down from their formal leadership roles.
The leadership transition marks an exciting new chapter for Wirral Greens, who now have 14 councillors and are the joint second-largest political group in Wirral.
Birkenhead & Tranmere Councillor and outgoing co-leader, Pat Cleary said, “It’s been a huge honour to co-lead Green Party councillors on Wirral through a period of significant growth.”
This is Carol. She’s 58, lives in Prenton and is an unpaid carer who, along with her husband Ryan, cares for her twin sons, David and Peter.
David and Peter are 24, they have complex learning difficulties and autism and need support with daily tasks 24/7.
Ahead of Carers Week 2025, Carol spoke about her story. Carol said, “The boys are amazing and I am so proud of them. But I’d be lying if I said things weren’t difficult. They require support with all aspects of daily living and constant supervision to stay safe.”
Plans that could see parts of Birkenhead completely change are set to be given the go-ahead next week.
Wirral Council is set to give the final sign off for major plans that would see major changes to roads around the Woodside Ferry Terminal, the historic Hamilton Square, as well as Argyle Street.
These would see major renovations similar to changes being seen already on nearby Conway Street as well as new cycle lanes and walking routes.
Hoylake Allotments celebrated a significant milestone on Saturday as Wirral West MP Matthew Patrick officially opened their new borehole, bringing running water to the site.
The ambitious project was made possible through a combination of community fundraising alongside a National Lottery Grant.
The borehole was professionally installed by Flintshire-based Dragon Drilling, reaching a depth of 53 metres and providing drinking-quality water to the entire site for the first time in its 100-year history.
A pool that has been having issues for five years has finally been fixed following a “tireless” campaign to get it open.
The hydrotherapy pool at the Pensby Wood day centre in Somerset Road was opened as part of a £1.2 million refurbishment of the centre in 2018, providing crucial hydrotherapy for people who have a range of disabilities.
However the pool, run by Wirral Council’s Wirral Evolutions service, has faced a series of breakdowns and maintenance problems since 2019 and hasn’t been used at all since May 2024.
Cash-strapped Wirral Council saw a drop in expected income of more than £300,000 last year from the land and buildings it owns.
The local authority is still in a difficult financial position after it was forced to request a government bailout earlier this year to avoid declaring bankruptcy in March.
£27.5m has been borrowed from the government, on top of a previous £12m request, and councillors are being expected to prioritise the council’s financial stability above everything else going forward.
Communities in Wirral have been coming together over the past few weeks to choose which ideas they believe could make a difference in their area and therefore be granted funding to help make it happen.
Organisations and community groups in five areas of Wirral had made bids for grants of up to £2,000 to deliver projects, events or other activities locally that would contribute to a reduction in crime and anti-social behaviour in their neighbourhoods.
Public events have been taking place in each of the five areas where local people come along, hear a pitch from the applicant and cast their vote on which ones they wanted to get the funding.
Wirral Council is moving forward with a comprehensive plan to develop and improve how it manages its waste and street cleansing services in order to respond to changes in national legislation and meet local and regional objectives.
At the next meeting of the Environment, Climate Emergency and Transport Committee, members will consider an update on the council’s new five-year Waste and Street Cleansing Strategy – entitled ‘Rethinking Waste: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover 2025-2030’.
Members will be asked to approve the strategy and request that officers move forward with developing a detailed delivery plan for its implementation.
Parents across Merseyside have been told they could save up to £450 each year as the government plans to introduce free breakfast clubs in every primary school across the country.
From April, the UK Government began rolling out free breakfast clubs to an initial 750 schools across the country, including 23 across the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and seven within Wirral.
Last week, the government also announced it would be extending free school meals to those on Universal Credit.
A new program to improve privately rented properties and proposed changes to help people seeking social and affordable housing are on the agenda when councillors meet this month.
Members of Wirral Council’s Economy, Regeneration and Housing Committee will be presented with proposals to make changes to the Property Pool Plus (PPP) Housing Allocations Scheme, as well as a proposed new selective licensing scheme to protect tenants in key areas of the borough.
The proposals include powers for Wirral Council to protect tenants in private accommodation across certain locations from poor landlords, plus improvements for those seeking social rented housing.
A jobs fair aimed at those looking for work in the crucial Early Years sector is coming to Birkenhead on 16 July.
Designed for those looking to build a career working with young children, the event will give residents to chance to meet with a wide range of Early Years employers from across the borough, as well as get practical application and CV help.
Funded by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, through the city region’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) allocation, the event is the latest in the council’s Jobs Fair programme which has so far seen over 1,200 people meet with employers.
An “agitated” takeaway boss chased after a customer promising to deliver an order, despite moments earlier being told he had to close his business.
Yeung Sing Fish and Chips on Old Chester Road in Bebington was slapped with a zero food hygiene rating following an inspection in February 2025. While it was given higher scores for hygiene and structure, it was given the worst possible score for confidence in management.
According to a report produced by Wirral Council environment health officers, they noticed within minutes that there was no adequate supply of hot water available for washing and preparing food, washing hands after preparing food or going to the loo, or for cleaning and disinfecting utensils. This was because a downstairs boiler wasn’t working.
This is the Birkenhead News weekly round-up of police and crime news in and around Wirral during the last seven days.
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