The little UK town with £80k houses where £24m revamp has 'destroyed' the town centre

A town in the North West of England has some of the cheapest property prices in the UK and is undergoing major redevelopment - but local businesses say the works are ruining the town centre. Birkenhead is located on the Wirral Peninsula on the banks of the Mersey River.

Like nearby Liverpool, Birkenhead has long been a famous builder of ships, a trade that has been a major part of its local economy since Victorian times, and is home to iconic British shipbuilder Cammell Laird. The town, which has a population of around 110,000, is among the cheapest places to buy property in the UK, with flats selling for an average of £102,220 over the past year, according to Rightmove. Meanwhile, house prices have an overall average of £156,828. At the time of writing, there were 38 properties on sale for £85,000 or under.

The town boasts stunning parks - one of which is said to have inspired New York's famous Central Park - and a number of major retail destinations like the Pyramid Shopping Centre and Birkenhead Market. Additionally, visitors will encounter an array of independent stores, some of which have been operating for decades.

But the town is also facing one big challenge: constant works in the town centre which are creating chaos. Among Birkenhead's independent stores is Skeleton Records, a go-to destination in Merseyside for classic vinyls, CDs and DVDs. The shop's owner Ben told Express.co.uk that the local favourite retains a loyal following, despite the challenges posed by building works in the town centre.

Since opening in 1972, the shop has had several homes, mostly in Birkenhead. It moved to its current store on Oxton Road in 1993.

Ben said: "Our main problem recently has been the town council trying their best to destroy the town centre with relentless roadworks."

However, he said his business hasn't been doing "as badly as some of the rest of the place, we're the kind of shop that does have a loyal customer base", and added that they're "extremely grateful to all our customers" for continuing to patronise the store.

He claims the council has made it "very challenging by closing roads left, right, and centre, and all over the place".

"And what should be a fairly simple five-minute drive into the town centre from all directions can take four or five times as long at various times over the past year," he said.

Kristy Joyce, who has run The River View pub on Chester Street for nearly ten years, acknowledged the need for parts of the town to be upgraded, but echoed Ben's sentiments on the impact of road closures.

"I see work going on around the town that quite simply doesn't make sense", she said.

"A very busy road up at the town centre's been closed off for the better part of two years. And it's something to do with widening the road so the bicycle lanes can get in.

"And we can all say 'we need to be living greener' and what have you, but I don't think a road closing for two years, with the disruption it's had, and no work going on, is a sustainable bill for the council or the local community in terms of access or cost."

Wirral Council's Birkenhead town centre project has promised to transform the area. But locals have voiced frustration at a lack of progress, and it was reported last month that the project has run behind schedule and over budget.

The local authority was expected to borrow £8million to cover an increase in costs to £24m, up from the original approved budget of £11.9m.

Paula Basnett, who became leader of the council in May, announced shortly after taking up the role that there would be an internal probe of the Birkenhead town centre project to "understand why it's been delayed and why there was an overspend", the Liverpool Echo reports.

She said: "Our residents are entitled to hear what has been going on and I fully appreciate that once we do have those findings, it will be out in the public domain."

The council leader said she hoped the findings of a wider review would establish timelines and costs that are realistic, enabling councillors to prioritise particular projects.

The town centre project is a key part of the council's Birkenhead 2040 framework, a "twenty-year plan which sets out the most radical proposals for the town since the 1947 Town Plan", according to the local authority.

As its name suggests, The River View pub is on the waterfront, with punters able to take in the stunning sight of Liverpool's iconic trio of harbourside buildings known as the "Three Graces" while enjoying drinks outside.

But Kristy believes more could be done to improve the view Scousers get of Birkenhead from the other side.

"I look out the window here, I can see the beautiful buildings, I can see if there's something going on in the city and go and visit," she said. "But here, looking the other way, at the moment there's nothing majorly attractive, or that would attract you, from the other side."

She suggested the council should focus on making it more appealing to visitors, as the town can be a "nice little trip" for people in the surrounding area to take the ferry over and visit, particularly during the summer.

Jade Muat-Dodd is new to Birkenhead's high street, having opened Green Jam Creatives on Hamilton Street in April with her mum, Julie Dodd.

The shop sells a curated collection of handmade goods made by independent local creatives and it also hosts creative courses and workshops.

Jade says she believes property prices are comparatively low because "some places get stuck with a less-than-desirable reputation".

"But the reality is that Birkenhead is a beautiful place, full of history, friendly people, gorgeous independent businesses, and plenty to do," she added.

Jade thinks the regeneration of the area "will do amazing things for local businesses - in fact, it was a big reason we chose this area for our shop".

She added: "There's a real sense that big things are about to happen in Birkenhead, and we can't wait to see it."

"That said, regeneration comes with its challenges," she added, noting similar concerns about its impact on footfall.

"While work is ongoing, it can be harder for people to travel to us, and in the long term, there's the question of rising rents and whether more big chains will move in," Jade said.

Jade said she's keeping her fingers crossed that the town will see "even more small, independent businesses emerge - ones that care about the area and want to collaborate, just like the brilliant independents already here".

Wirral Council said in a statement: "Many of these issues are currently being looked at as part of an internal audit and an external regeneration review.

"We won't comment while these pieces of work are ongoing. Once they have concluded, the findings will be made public."