MOVES to speed up acquisition of land and properties standing in the way of New Ferry's regeneration have been backed by councillors.

Wirral's economy, regeneration and development committee rubber-stamped a recommendation that council officers can begin a legal process that could lead to the last few sites remaining in private ownership to be acquired through Compulsory Purchase Orders.

The authority had written to owners of the remaining land and property earlier this year urging them to negotiate. Some owners had come forward and progress is being made on acquisition of a number of properties.

However, there remain around 15 properties and some other pockets of the land that the council still needs to acquire to ensure the full scheme can be delivered.

One of the three areas earmarked for development is the site of the March 2017 gas explosion on Boundary Road, while another development will be opposite the explosion site where many existing retail and residential buildings were damaged beyond repair in that blast.

The third site incorporates a block of largely derelict and disused retail units along the main New Chester Road, as well as part of a council-owned car park on Woodhead Street that backs onto the explosion site.

In total, across the three sites the proposal is for the building of up to 79 new residential units – a mixture of two and three-bedroom houses and one and two-bedroom apartments.

There is planning consent for more than 1,000 square metres of retail floorspace across the sites.

Cllr Anita Leech, chair of the council's economy, eegeneration and Development Committee for Wirral Council, said: "Residents and businesses in New Ferry are quite rightly desperate for this transformation to take place as soon as possible.

"They have made their views known through a number of consultations and have played a significant part in helping shape and design the plans that we are looking to take forward.

"It has been a highly complex process, however, with much of the land needed in private ownership.

"The council has made steady progress, through an investment of more than £1.3 million, on acquiring pockets of land across the three sites and now is the time for us to conclude the purchase of the remaining land.

“This is essential to avoid any delays in appointing a development partner to bring these much-needed regeneration plans to fruition as quickly as possible.”