Historic town hall could close to save money as council plans to move

Following the reopening of Wallasey Town Hall, Wirral Council could decide to close another town hall in Birkenhead.

Birkenhead Town Hall including the council chambers with a fine ceiling.(Image: Liverpool Echo)

Birkenhead Town Hall could close as Wirral Council plans to move services to the town hall in Wallasey and save money. While no decision is expected to be made this week, a new report suggests council members may decide to close the doors at a later date.

Over the past year, Wirral The council is considering what to do with city halls in Birkenhead and Wallasey. The local authority closed Wallasey Town Hall in 2023 to save money in that year’s budget, but it reopened earlier this year following safety concerns and a number of incidents in Birkenhead.

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Both buildings are historical monuments, but the council He has previously said that “retaining two underutilized town halls is a waste of resources.” Building options unveiled in July included the potential sale of both.

Looking at future use, A previous consultant’s report said Birkenhead was too small for a hotel conversion and would be difficult to convert into an office. but there was potential for “increased use of leisure”. Wallasey considered it too large to convert, but “it has leisure facilities”.

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The report said: “It would be sensible and best value for money to retain just one of these assets, freeing up the other for future use and relieving the Council of the burden of maintaining an asset it does not need.”

At the Policy and Resources Committee meeting on November 6, councilors attending the meeting are encouraged to continue to meet at Wallasey Town Hall and use it for services including the relocation of the registrar’s office from Birkenhead. Councilors will also be asked to consider the £13.2m cost of running and improving the building.

The council will also consider what Birkenhead Town Hall could be used for in the future and report back to councillors.

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A report presented to councilors said Wallasey Town Hall was a priority as it had long been the local authority’s head office since 1974. The report said the building was best suited to host council meetings, although concerns had previously been raised about poor transport links to Seacombe.

The registration service in Birkenhead is also currently experiencing “collapsed ceilings” and water leaks, which the council says is “not ideal for serving residents”. Councilors could decide to get rid of Birkenhead Town Hall in the future, but a report says the building’s listed status means its future needs to be carefully considered.

However, maintaining Wallasey Town Hall comes at a high cost. II* listed building. The renovation could cost £12 million over 15 years, with the council planning to apply for funding to cover the cost.

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Reducing the building’s carbon footprint is expected to cost a further £3.85 million to replace lighting, install secondary glazing and replace the old heating system. Taking into account IT and condition survey costs, it is expected that it will cost more than £20 million to keep Wallasey Town Hall operational into the future for 15 years.

For Birkenhead, the council plans to look at options for the building to be used by either the council or a third party. By reducing the use of Birkenhead and potentially suspending day-to-day operations, the council could decide to close the town hall as a future budget saving option, the report said.

Wirral Council Previously decided to do this with Wallasey, but the reopening of the town hall means that money was not saved. It is expected that £400,000 will be spent on developing plans for the future use of both town halls to offset any money raised from the closure of Birkenhead.

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However, even if Birkenhead Town Hall closes, Wirral Council will still be responsible for its condition for as long as it is owned by them. Work on the building is expected to cost more than £9.5 million, although this figure could be higher as it does not include the cost of preparing the building for other uses in the future.