Wirral Council Names Designer for Liscard Public Realm Upgrade 2026

Key Points

• Plans for Liscard town centre improvement are underway, following the engagement of Buro Happold Limited – a leading design consultancy firm – by Wirral Council.
• The contract was made after a competitive procurement process.
• Buro Happold will develop detailed design of public space improvements as per Liscard Regeneration Programme.
• The consultancy firm will conduct various surveys and investigations before developing tender documentation for further construction works.
• The £225,586 contract has been awarded using the funding from the Local Regeneration Fund of Wirral Council.
• The regeneration programme seeks to improve accessibility and attractiveness of the environment for residents, visitors and businesses.
• Mark Skillicorn, Councillor, referred to the contract awarding as a milestone in the regeneration programme.
• The overall plans seek to facilitate investment and regeneration of town centre through improving appearance and functionality and promoting sustainable economic growth.
• Wirral Council’s Committee has also given the go-ahead to plans to sell Dominick House to the owners of the adjacent Cherry Tree shopping centre.
• This sale may lead to demolition of the Dominick House, although the current report does not give any demolition time or construction time.

Wirral Council (Liverpool standard) October 1, 2026 —It has appointed the specialist design consultancy to develop public realm improvements for Liscard town centre as part of the authority’s wider Liscard Regeneration Programme.

The appointment means the project has moved from the planning and procurement stage into detailed design work. According to the Wirral Globe, Buro Happold will now undertake the surveys and investigations required to inform the proposals before preparing tender documentation for future construction works.

The appointment does not mean that construction has started. Instead, it represents an important preparatory step in the regeneration process. The consultancy’s work is expected to establish the technical information and detailed plans needed before construction contractors can be appointed.

The scheme is intended to improve the public spaces used by people travelling to, working in and visiting Liscard. Wirral Council says the improvements will focus on creating a more accessible and welcoming environment for residents, visitors and businesses.

Who has Wirral Council appointed?

Wirral Council appointed Buro Happold Limited after a competitive procurement process. The consultancy is a specialist design firm and will be responsible for preparing the detailed proposals for the public realm element of the Liscard Regeneration Programme.

As reported by the Wirral Globe, the design team will complete the surveys and investigations necessary to progress the scheme. It will also prepare tender documents that can later be used to seek construction bids.

The tender documentation is significant because it will provide the information required by contractors when submitting bids. It is expected to set out the scope of the work, technical requirements and other details needed for future construction procurement.

The report does not state when the design work will be completed, when construction tenders will be issued or when physical work will begin. It also does not identify the precise streets, squares or individual public spaces that will be altered under the appointment.

How much will the design contract cost?

The contract with Buro Happold is valued at £225,586. Funding will come from Wirral Council’s Local Regeneration Fund.

The authority’s economy, regeneration and housing committee approved the funding earlier in the year, according to the Wirral Globe. The committee’s approval enabled the council to proceed with the design consultancy appointment.

The available report identifies the contract value and funding source but does not provide a breakdown of the expenditure. It is therefore not clear from the published information how much will be allocated to surveys, design work, investigations, consultation, tender preparation or other associated services.

The £225,586 amount relates to the design consultancy appointment. It should not be treated as the total cost of delivering the future public realm improvements, because construction costs have not been stated in the report.

What did Councillor Mark Skillicorn say?

Councillor Mark Skillicorn, chair of Wirral Council’s economy, regeneration and housing committee, said the appointment marked an important stage in the regeneration programme.

As quoted by the Wirral Globe, Councillor Skillicorn said: “Liscard is a key town centre for Wirral and the appointment of an experienced design team is a significant milestone in moving our regeneration plans forward.”

He also said the public realm works would help create “a more attractive and accessible town centre” that supports local businesses, encourages more visitors and provides a better experience for people who live, work and spend time in Liscard.

The statement sets out the council’s intended outcomes for the project. These include improving the appearance of the town centre, making it easier to use and supporting commercial activity.

The council has not, in the information reported, published a final design or confirmed the specific improvements that will be delivered. The appointed consultancy’s surveys and investigations are expected to inform the next stage of the work.

What will Buro Happold do next?

Buro Happold will begin the work needed to prepare the project for potential construction. This will include surveys and investigations of the town centre and the preparation of tender documentation.

The surveys are expected to provide the design team with information about existing conditions. However, the report does not specify the exact types of survey that will be undertaken. It also does not provide a detailed timetable for the consultancy’s work.

The investigation stage will be followed by the preparation of designs. These designs will then support future procurement by giving contractors a defined set of requirements against which they can tender.

The Wirral Globe reported that Buro Happold will complete the work required before construction can begin. This indicates that the current appointment is focused on design and pre-construction activity rather than the physical delivery of the public realm scheme.

Further decisions will be needed before work can take place. These may include approval of the final design, agreement of construction funding, procurement of a contractor and confirmation of a delivery programme. The available report does not state whether all of those decisions have been made.

How does the project fit into wider regeneration plans?

The public realm improvements form part of broader plans for Liscard town centre. Wirral Council says the wider programme is intended to support investment, improve the town centre’s appearance and function, and create opportunities for sustainable economic growth.

Public realm projects generally concern the spaces and facilities that people use outside buildings. In Liscard, the council’s stated objectives are connected with accessibility, the visitor experience, business support and the overall attractiveness of the centre. The published report does not provide a final list of public realm features or confirm the exact layout of the proposed works.

The appointment comes alongside a separate decision involving Dominick House. Wirral Council’s committee recently approved plans to sell the building to the owners of the adjacent Cherry Tree shopping centre.

According to the Wirral Globe, the proposed sale is expected to create the possibility of Dominick House being demolished. The report describes the move as something that is hoped to lead to demolition, rather than confirming that demolition has already taken place or that a final date has been set.

The Dominick House decision is relevant to the wider regeneration context because it concerns a prominent town-centre property and could affect the future appearance and use of the area. However, the available report does not establish that the building’s sale and the Buro Happold design contract are part of one single construction package.

What is not yet known about the scheme?

Several details remain subject to the next stages of the regeneration process.

The council has not, in the information published by the Wirral Globe, confirmed the final design, the exact locations of the improvements, the expected start date for construction or the total delivery cost.

There is also no reported timetable for the completion of Buro Happold’s surveys and investigations. The authority has not yet identified the construction contractor, and no construction tender deadline is included in the available report.

The lack of a construction timetable means that residents and businesses should not assume that physical changes will begin immediately. The current appointment is a design and preparation contract. Further information is expected to emerge as the consultancy completes its work and the council makes additional decisions.

The eventual impact on traffic, parking, pedestrians, deliveries and businesses will depend on the final design and construction programme. Those details have not been provided in the reported announcement.

Why does the appointment matter?

The appointment provides Wirral Council with a specialist team to develop the technical proposals needed for a major public realm project. It also moves the regeneration programme beyond broad objectives and towards a defined design process.

For residents and visitors, the council’s stated aim is to deliver a town centre that is more accessible and welcoming. For businesses, the authority says the wider regeneration plans are intended to encourage visitors, support investment and contribute to sustainable economic growth.

For the council, the design stage is necessary to establish what can be built, how it can be delivered and how much the future construction work may cost. The £225,586 contract therefore relates to the preparation of the project rather than its completed outcome.

The appointment also gives the council an opportunity to assess existing conditions before final decisions are made. Surveys and investigations can identify practical constraints and help shape designs that respond to the town centre’s current layout and requirements.

Background: What is the Liscard Regeneration Programme?

The Liscard Regeneration Programme is Wirral Council’s wider plan to support the town centre through improvements to its public spaces, appearance, accessibility and economic function.

The public realm element is being supported by the council’s Local Regeneration Fund. The authority’s economy, regeneration and housing committee approved the funding for the £225,586 design consultancy contract earlier in the year.

The programme is being advanced alongside other property and regeneration decisions, including the committee’s approval of plans to sell Dominick House to the owners of the adjacent Cherry Tree shopping centre. The proposed sale could lead to the building’s demolition, according to the Wirral Globe.

The appointment of Buro Happold is the latest reported stage in the public realm work. The consultancy will carry out surveys and investigations, prepare detailed designs and produce tender documents before construction procurement can proceed.

Prediction: How could Liscard town centre improvements affect residents and businesses?

The immediate effect for residents and businesses is likely to be further design and investigative activity rather than visible construction. Surveys and site investigations could take place before any physical changes are made, while the council develops the tender documents required for future works.

If the scheme progresses as intended, residents and visitors could eventually see changes designed to improve accessibility, the appearance of public spaces and the general experience of using Liscard town centre. Businesses could benefit from increased visitor activity and a more attractive commercial environment, although the scale of any economic benefit will depend on the final design, construction timetable and wider trading conditions.

Construction could also create temporary disruption. Depending on the locations and scale of the works, businesses and visitors may face changes to pedestrian routes, deliveries, parking or access. No disruption timetable has been announced, and the impact cannot be assessed accurately until the detailed designs are published.

The appointment may also increase public interest in how the council uses the Local Regeneration Fund and how future construction costs are controlled. The reported £225,586 contract is for design consultancy services, not the complete cost of the public realm improvements.

For residents, the most important next developments are likely to be the publication of more detailed proposals, confirmation of the construction budget and a timetable for delivery. For businesses, information about access and phasing will be particularly important before construction begins.