The £24m project has faced significant criticism in recent weeks
The current state of road works around Conway Street(Image: Copyright Unknown)
Wirral Council has issued an explanation after people have spotted asphalt and other issues as work continues on a £24m town centre project.
Works have been taking place in Birkenhead town centre for over a year as part of a revamp. The regeneration project intends to make the area more attractive but it has faced significant criticism in recent weeks.
The works centred around Grange Road and Conway Street still have a long way to go before they are finished and costs have doubled. Wirral Council might have to borrow £8m to cover the increase though all other options are being explored.
The scheme was originally approved with a budget of £11.9m. However the contract signed for the revamp cost £2.8m more than that and the price tag has only gone up since then now expected to be around £24m.
As work is ongoing, sections around Conway Street have seen barriers removed and more of it opened up for pedestrian access. However the local authority has faced criticism on social media from people over sections they believed to have been finished.
One section that has been highlighted on social media is an area of asphalt directly in front of the Beach, a bar. Facebook page Badboybeaman recently posted a video to his over 200,000 followers questioning whether the council had “run out of slabs” calling the situation “ridiculous”.
However Wirral Council have clarified that despite the area being open to the public, more work is expected in the area in the future. A Wirral Council spokesperson said: “The current works on Conway Street are not complete.
“While some areas may initially appear to be finished because they have been partially reopened, specifically the tarmac infills fronting the nightclub, these are programmed for completion at a later date and will not be left in this condition.”
An investigation is currently ongoing into why the scheme is over budget and behind schedule with the findings of this expected in the autumn. Wirral Council leader Cllr Paula Basnett has promised full honesty and that nothing will be brushed under the carpet.
An audit and risk management committee meeting has been scheduled for September. This will make a number of recommendations going forward.
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