![\"Wirral](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/0_A-general-view-of-Wirral-Councils-offices-at-Alice-Ker-Square-in-Birkenhead.jpg\")
Wirral Council’s offices at Alice Ker Square in Birkenhead(Image: Liverpool Echo)<\/p>\nA firm was brought in to independently review the council earlier this year<\/p>\n
16:37, 16 Oct 2025Updated 16:37, 16 Oct 2025<\/p>\n
Wirral Council’s offices at Alice Ker Square in Birkenhead(Image: Liverpool Echo)<\/p>\n
People in Wirral will not discover the findings of a probe into major multi-million regeneration schemes for another month. A firm was brought in earlier this year to look at Wirral<\/a> Council\u2019s delivery of key projects and to identify problems.<\/p>\n In July, Wirral Council<\/a> appointed regeneration consultants Aughton Lane to look at a number of projects over the last three years. The up to \u00a395,000 review was to see whether the council needs to rethink its approach to regeneration as well as the delivery status of a number of key developments.<\/a><\/p>\n The public have been promised major change in Birkenhead<\/a> in recent years with computer graphics and artist illustrations showing how the town could be transformed.<\/a> The local authority has been successful in bringing money in, with more than \u00a3150m in government grants.<\/p>\n However several schemes have since been scrapped, changed, and with some no progress seems to be taking place<\/a>. Projects like Birkenhead Market and works in the town centre have also been incredibly controversial.<\/a><\/p>\n A review of the regeneration programme was prompted following Wirral Council leader Cllr Paula Basnett\u2019s election in May<\/a>. She said too many schemes remained stuck and an independent review was needed of all major projects promising \u201cno more delays and no more excuses.\u201d<\/p>\n More recently, she said she proposed the review because of genuine concerns about the council\u2019s delivery and the local authority could not afford to get it wrong<\/a>. However the daily costs of the review have been criticised by one Conservative councillor as \u201cappalling.\u201d<\/p>\n The ECHO understood the review was going to be published ahead of a policy and resources committee on October 22. The committee is made up of senior councillors of all political parties.<\/p>\n When this was not the case, the ECHO approached the local authority to explain the delay. Council leader Cllr Paula Basnett said: \u201cThe draft review of Wirral Council\u2019s regeneration programme has been circulated to all group leaders.<\/p>\n \u201cBefore it goes to the Policy and Resources committee and to encourage more collaborative working across committees, I have proposed a joint meeting of the Economy, Regeneration and Housing and Policy and Resources committees with Aughton Lane, who conducted the review.<\/p>\n \u201cThis will allow members to discuss key issues and recommendations ahead of publication. To facilitate this, I\u2019ve asked officers to defer the review\u2019s presentation from October to November\u2019s Policy and Resources committee meeting.\u201d<\/p>\n For the latest news and breaking news visit liverpoolecho.co.uk\/news<\/a><\/p>\n Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you.<\/p>\n Follow us on Twitter<\/a> @LivECHONews<\/a> – the official Liverpool ECHO Twitter account – real news in real time.<\/p>\n