Ideas Worth Building: A Vision for a Better New Brighton
- Rory
- 3 days ago
- 15 min read
From Critic to Contributor
In Side-Lined by the Sea, I laid bare the ways New Brighton has been persistently overlooked in Wirral’s regeneration priorities. Despite our creative energy, visitor pull, and historical significance, we remain an afterthought in key masterplans, while dubious vanity schemes elsewhere soak up public attention and funding.
This time, I’m flipping the script. Because it's not enough to critique from the sidelines—especially when we have better ideas, realistic routes, and the expertise to bring them to life. This is about showing what’s possible.
A Quick Reminder: What We Said Before
The first piece mapped out the broken machinery of regeneration on Wirral: masterplans gathering dust, council minutes drenched in ambiguity, and decisions made without transparency or meaningful public input. But it also highlighted something deeper—a place brimming with untapped promise. New Brighton isn’t waiting to be ‘saved’. It’s already moving. This follow-up is for those who believe regeneration should be rooted in place, not imposed from above.
For the Record
Some have accused me of being just another "keyboard warrior"—quick to critique, slow to contribute. Let me be clear. I’ve worked for global creative agencies and national infrastructure clients. I’ve led strategy for some of Europe’s most forward-thinking EV, digital, and public realm initiatives. I authored Wirral Cycling 2025–2035, a whitepaper laying out a clear, data-backed vision for active travel across the peninsula. I don’t just comment—I publish, I plan, I propose.
And I live here. I pick up litter regulary on Rowson Street and beyond. I help clear alleyways the council ignores. I raise my son in this town, and I want him to grow up in a place that values ambition over apathy.
If I speak critically, it’s from skin in the game—not from the cheap seats.
And ask yourself this: when was the last time you heard one of our local Labour councillors talk in this way—let alone put forward sixteen clear, practical, community-rooted proposals? You’ll struggle to find the record of it. But here it is, in front of you.
A Local Plan With Vision
Below are sixteen bold but realistic proposals. Each one is grounded in lived experience, shaped by practical expertise, and rooted in the character of New Brighton—not in distant boardrooms or forgotten spreadsheets. Together, they form a vision not just for recovery, but for genuine transformation—if we choose to act.
1. Deliver the Marine Promenade Masterplan—With Teeth
Problem: We already have a plan for New Brighton’s seafront. What we don’t have is delivery.
Proposal: Reactivate and revise the 2021 Marine Promenade Masterplan with clear timelines and responsibilities. Focus on the lower prom and the neglected hinterlands behind Victoria Road.
Implementation Route: Establish targeted public-private partnerships with enforceable delivery milestones. Use Section 106 funding more strategically. Prioritise shovel-ready portions that align with climate and tourism goals.
Examples: Scarborough’s South Bay Masterplan aligned developers, council goals, and phased public realm upgrades. It worked.
2. Reimagine the Floral Pavilion as a Cultural and Hospitality Engine
Problem: The Floral Pavilion is underperforming. Once a proud asset, it’s now a financial burden—undermarketed, underused, and increasingly seen as a liability. But the failure isn’t artistic—it's strategic. The theatre has an incredible waterfront location, a café with underwhelming daytime trade, and a restaurant opportunity that’s barely been scratched. Just like the council-run café in Hoylake, it's a venue that should print money—and yet it doesn't.
Proposal: Reimagine the Floral as a fully integrated cultural and hospitality hub. Keep the theatre—but pair it with a quality dining offer, pre-show set menus, and sea-view aftershow drinks. Turn the café into a vibrant, profitable daytime space with local suppliers, community baking schemes, and seasonal menus. Wrap it all in strong programming: art house films, performance residencies, studio hire, local music, and family events.
Implementation Route: Establish an independent cultural trust with experience in both the arts and hospitality. Partner with Arts Council England and hospitality incubators. Audit the café and restaurant setup with commercial lens—what would this look like if we truly tried?
Examples: Falmouth’s AMATA and Margate’s Turner Contemporary blend culture and café with huge success. The Brewery Arts Centre in Kendal and Storyhouse in Chester both pair theatre with food and drink in ways that strengthen revenue, community and footfall.
Why It Matters: The Floral could be the beating heart of the town—a place where stories are told, people gather, and money actually flows in. Right now, we’re sitting on a golden location and squandering it with passive management. It’s time we raised the curtain on something better.
3. Install High-Speed EV Charging That Makes Sense
Problem: For a town at the end of a coastal route, New Brighton has no meaningful EV infrastructure. The lack of high-speed chargers discourages longer-stay visitors, limits low-carbon travel options, and sends EV drivers elsewhere. It’s a missed opportunity—and a reputational blind spot.
Proposal: Attract a premium EV charging operator—such as IONITY, InstaVolt or Gridserve—to install a visible, high-speed charging hub. Position it to serve day-trippers, campervans, and future last-mile logistics—while integrating seamlessly into the town’s heritage setting.
Implementation Route: Package New Brighton as a coastal charging opportunity for the upcoming rounds of the EV Infrastructure Fund. Engage operators directly with site proposals around Marine Point or the model boating lake car park. Design for visual harmony, accessibility, and safety—this must feel premium, not like an afterthought.
Examples: Southend-on-Sea, Whitby, and Falmouth all installed high-speed chargers that support tourism and transport strategies without compromising their townscape.
Why It Matters: We can’t talk about future transport and regeneration without solving the EV gap. Getting this right isn’t just practical—it’s symbolic.
4. Create a Modern, Managed Campervan Overnight Stop
Problem: Campervans are already coming to New Brighton—but we have no plan, no facilities, and no revenue model. Visitors sleep in car parks, leave early, or avoid us entirely. What should be a source of year-round income and local trade is being squandered through lack of infrastructure.
Proposal: Create a professionally managed, low-impact overnight campervan stop near the promenade—complete with pay-as-you-go waste disposal, water refill, and secure access. Model it on successful European examples like Zandvoort aan Zee (NL) or Doolin (Ireland). These aren’t campsites—they’re efficient, barrier-controlled plots with essential services, located close to town, designed to minimise disruption while maximising economic return.
Cultural Context: Since COVID, vanlife has exploded—no longer a niche or novelty, but a mainstream form of tourism and mobility. Families, remote workers, retirees and adventure seekers are touring the country in converted vans and purpose-built campers. These travellers spend money locally, stay longer when facilities are good, and actively seek out well-managed coastal stops. New Brighton has the views, the access, and the atmosphere—but none of the infrastructure.
Implementation Route: Trial modular, off-grid facilities during the spring/summer season. Use basic number-plate recognition or coded barrier access. Partner with eco-service providers (like WasteServ or Sanitrax) to keep the footprint low and the experience clean. Collect data from users and local businesses, and use it to inform a permanent, landscape-integrated site—possibly linked with Marine Point or behind the model boating lake.
Examples:
Zandvoort aan Zee, Netherlands: Campervans park right on the waterfront with sea views, barrier access, and minimal visual impact. It’s fully booked in season.
Doolin, Ireland: A small-scale, low-tech overnight stop that supports local pubs, cafés and B&Bs without overwhelming the town.
Bay of Morlaix, France: Integrated camper routes support local towns with a network of overnight stops, recycling points and refill stations—simple, profitable and tidy.
Why It Matters: This is a booming travel sector—one that expects little, spends locally, and thrives with basic infrastructure. New Brighton could capture that economy tomorrow with minimal effort. Managed correctly, it brings footfall in the evenings, life outside school holidays, and a reputation for being a welcoming, functional, future-ready town.
It's not about parking—it's about hospitality...
5. Scrap the Parking Charges That Punish Local Business
Problem: The introduction of new parking charges in New Brighton and other coastal areas has sparked significant public opposition. A consultation revealed that over 93% of respondents opposed implementing charges in previously free car parks, citing concerns about the potential negative impact on local businesses and accessibility for residents and visitors alike.
Proposal: Implement a more nuanced parking strategy that supports local commerce and community needs. This could include offering the first hour of parking for free, introducing business-linked validation schemes, and adopting variable pricing models that reflect peak and off-peak times. Such measures aim to encourage footfall, support local traders, and maintain accessibility for all.
Implementation Route: Initiate a 6-month pilot program in key areas like New Brighton, closely monitoring its impact on local businesses and visitor numbers. Engage with stakeholders, including business owners and residents, to gather feedback and adjust the strategy accordingly. Revenue generated could be transparently reinvested into maintaining public amenities such as promenades and public toilets, ensuring visible community benefits.
Examples: Towns like Whitstable and Llandudno have successfully revised their parking strategies to better support local economies. By tailoring parking policies to the unique needs of their communities, they've managed to balance revenue generation with economic vitality.
Why It Matters: A well-considered parking policy is crucial for the economic health and vibrancy of coastal towns. By aligning parking strategies with the needs of local businesses and residents, New Brighton can foster a more welcoming environment that encourages tourism, supports commerce, and enhances the overall quality of life for its community.
6. Build Creative Infrastructure That Lasts
Problem: New Brighton's creative community is thriving, yet lacks dedicated spaces to work, exhibit, and collaborate. A potential loss of venues like Oakland Gallery threatens to disrupt this momentum, leaving artists, musicians, writers, and makers without a central hub to foster their talents.
Proposal: Establish a multi-use creative hub in New Brighton, offering studios, rehearsal rooms, digital labs, and public spaces for exhibitions and pop-up events. This facility would serve as an incubator for local talent, providing the resources and environment necessary for creative endeavors to flourish.
Implementation Route: Leverage funding opportunities such as the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), which supports local arts, cultural, heritage, and creative activities. Identify and retrofit an empty council or retail unit in the area, transforming it into a vibrant creative space. Collaborate with local artists and organizations to manage and program the facility, ensuring it meets the community's needs.
Examples: Similar initiatives have seen success in other towns. Ramsgate's Pie Factory and Hull's Humber Street Gallery have revitalized their respective areas by providing dedicated spaces for artists and creatives. These hubs have become cultural landmarks, attracting visitors and stimulating local economies.
Why It Matters: Investing in creative infrastructure not only supports the arts but also drives economic growth, tourism, and community engagement. By providing a dedicated space for creativity, New Brighton can solidify its reputation as a cultural destination, fostering pride among residents and attracting visitors from beyond the region.
7. Make New Brighton the Epicentre of Coastal Cycling Culture
Problem: We’re sitting on one of the greatest natural cycling assets in the UK—a sweeping coastal route from the Mersey to the Irish Sea, with views, space, fresh air, and history in every direction. But it’s underfunded, disjointed, and invisible to the very people who would love it. The infrastructure doesn’t match the landscape, and the experience doesn’t match the potential. Even worse—we’ve overlooked the role New Brighton could play at the centre of it all.
Proposal: Position New Brighton as the hub of the Wirral Circular: the ultimate cycling stop-off and the gateway to the wider peninsula. This isn’t just about laying tarmac—it’s about building a culture, a destination, and an economic identity around cycling. New Brighton becomes the reason to ride.
Picture this: riders arrive via the Riverside Ride along the Mersey, or coast in from Parkgate, Leasowe, or Bidston. New Brighton welcomes them with bike parking, covered repair stations, warm cafés, healthy food options, sea views, beaches, public toilets, a cold drink on Victoria Road, or even an overnight stay. It becomes the anchor point—the place where people start, finish, or plan their loop.
Implementation Route:
Finish the critical Seacombe–Liscard–New Brighton link as part of the Core Active Travel Network.
Rebrand New Brighton within Wirral Council strategy as the Active Travel Anchor Town.
Develop dedicated bike hubs at Fort Perch Rock, Marine Point and Vale Park. Include maps, lockers, pump stations, and partner cafés.
Tie in local events—ride outs, night rides, charity loops, family “slow rolls”, and cyclo-tourism festivals.
Integrate digital and print route guides that highlight not just the ride, but the stop.
Examples:
Hamburg turned its harbourside paths into a bike-powered economy—linking food, ferry, and festivals with infrastructure and investment.
Girona became the go-to cycling city of Europe not because of its climate, but because it made the experienceseamless, social, and local-business led.
Eastbourne and Southport are now recognised active travel hubs because they tied cycling to tourism and town centre spend.
Why It Matters: Cycling routes alone don’t build cycling culture. Places do. New Brighton is perfectly placed to lead Wirral’s shift to active travel—not just as a pass-through, but as a place to stop. A centre. A destination.
This isn’t just about bikes. It’s about boosting local spend, attracting tourism, promoting healthy travel, and turning New Brighton into a nationally recognised model for how coastal towns can thrive. It’s not anti-car—it’s pro-choice, pro-cycling, and pro-connected transport. And above all, it’s about building a place where people want to stop, stay, and return.
We already have the landscape. Let’s finally build the infrastructure and identity to match.
8. Resurface the Promenade and Coatsl Drive —Properly This Time
Problem: The new road surface on Kings Parade and Coastal Drive is shoddy, uneven, and unacceptable. It's the town's front door—and it feels like a DIY patch job. For visitors arriving by car, it’s a jarring and joyless welcome: a dark, patchy route leading to a blacked-out clown statue bathed in horror-film orange light. Not exactly the grand entrance a seaside destination deserves.
Proposal: Strip and fully resurface the road to a proper gateway standard, with quality materials, transparent QA, and community oversight. But go further: invest in new public realm features that turn the promenade into a celebrated entry point—upgraded lighting columns that allow for seasonal bunting, art banners, and low-energy light shows throughout the year. Create a vibrant, welcoming corridor that sets the tone for New Brighton before visitors even leave their cars.
Implementation Route: Audit the previous contractor’s work and hold it to account. If needed, retender under stricter quality control with tourism and placemaking goals built into the contract. Work with lighting designers and the local creative community to ensure the infrastructure enables civic celebration, not just basic illumination.
Examples: Prom roads in Scarborough, Bournemouth and Lytham are surfaced and lit to a far higher standard, giving the visitor a sense of arrival and care. Eastbourne’s lighting schemes and Llandudno’s seasonal lamp banners offer models of how to turn a drive into a civic statement.
Why It Matters: The prom isn’t just a road—it’s a message. Right now, that message is: “we gave up.” Let’s change that.
9. Support Seabank Road as a Local High Street
Problem: Seabank Road—home to independent shops, residents, and the Vale Park community—is routinely overlooked.
Proposal: Designate it as a strategic neighbourhood high street. Offer shopfront grants, greening, pavement repairs, signage upgrades.
Implementation Route: Allocate a portion of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund for shopfront and pavement renewal. Create a traders’ partnership.
Examples: Liverpool’s Lark Lane and London’s Church Street were uplifted without gentrification. Seabank deserves the same.
Why It Matters: This is a living artery of the town—not a satellite. Traders and community anchors like Vale Park are critical to a connected New Brighton.
10. Create a Regeneration Advisory Group That Actually Listens
Problem: Council decisions happen to us, not with us.
Proposal: Form a permanent New Brighton Regeneration Advisory Group—residents, creatives, traders, youth reps.
Implementation Route: Pass a motion at committee level. Bake the group into any future regeneration plans. No more backroom deals.
Examples: Hastings, Folkestone and Portobello embed community panels into policy-making.
11. Build a Civic Data Commons
Problem: No one can follow the money, the votes, or the plans. Trust collapses.
Proposal: Launch a public digital dashboard tracking regeneration spend, council votes, project timelines, and promises made.
Implementation Route: Use open-source civic tech (e.g. Decidim, Koho). Host publicly. Train youth fellows to maintain and update.
Examples: Porto, Madrid, and Barcelona all track policy and regeneration this way. We should too.
12. Rebuild the Pier and Launch High-Speed Water Taxis to Liverpool
Problem: We’ve lost our connection to the river—New Brighton’s historic gateway to trade, travel and opportunity. A modern pier and river link have been talked about for years but never delivered.
Proposal: Build a new pier designed for fast, reliable water transport. Launch a high-speed electric water taxi service linking New Brighton directly with Liverpool and Birkenhead—prioritising commuters, day-trippers and active travellers. Leisure cruises can follow, but this is first and foremost about functional, future-proof public transport.
Implementation Route: Trial a floating pontoon and seasonal pilot with a private operator. Use data and demand to shape the permanent pier design. Align with regional transport priorities and Merseytravel ambitions.
Examples:
London’s Uber Boat offers rapid river access across the capital.
Rotterdam’s Water Taxis move residents and workers efficiently, every day.
Belfast’s Maritime Corridor integrates water routes with city regeneration.
Why It Matters:This isn’t nostalgia—it’s infrastructure. A fast river link would reduce car journeys, connect us directly to Liverpool, and put New Brighton back where it belongs: as the front door of Wirral, not the afterthought.
13. Reclaim Disused Sites and End the Rot
Problem: Across New Brighton, key parcels of land sit decaying, disused or mismanaged. The rotting mini golf site near the model boating lake is just one visible example—litter-stained, fenced off, and left to fester for years. But it’s not alone. From overgrown lots to dormant assets, these spaces erode pride, drain potential, and serve as daily reminders of neglect.
Proposal: Audit and reclaim all publicly owned or formerly licensed leisure and commercial plots that have fallen into disuse. Return them to community or council control. Then repurpose them quickly for interim use: pop-up cafés, performance spaces, or youth skate/BMX zones while long-term plans are developed transparently.
Implementation Route: Use compulsory purchase or revocation clauses where appropriate. Map the sites, publish the timeline, and involve residents in reimagining uses. Don’t wait for another round of planning blight—act now.
Examples: Brighton, Margate and Folkestone have all used “meanwhile use” strategies to activate dead land into community hubs and small-business incubators.
Why It Matters: These eyesores drag the town down and send a clear message of abandonment. Take them back. Put them to use. Show what local control can look like.
14. Activate the Dips as a Premier Outdoor Events Venue
Problem: The Dips are a gift—wide, grassy, sea-facing, and completely underused. For most of the year, they sit empty, waiting. Meanwhile, we complain about lack of culture, activities, or reasons to visit.
Proposal: Turn The Dips into a flexible outdoor event space for concerts, festivals, open-air cinema, night markets, and family experiences. With careful stewardship and a seasonal schedule, The Dips could become a defining feature of New Brighton’s cultural identity.
Implementation Route: Establish a seasonal events licence, supported by council event staff and community groups. Invest in minimal but vital infrastructure: power access, temporary toilet bases, lighting anchor points. Build an “Events on The Dips” calendar in partnership with promoters and local creatives.
Examples: Scarborough’s Open Air Theatre is Europe’s largest outdoor music venue and began with far less space than The Dips. Even Llandudno’s Prom Live and Bognor’s ‘Sunshine Stage’ draw thousands with minimal fixed infrastructure.
Why It Matters: We live by the sea. We’re not scared of a bit of wind. This is exactly the kind of bold, community-rooted programming that puts a town back on the map—and in people’s summer plans.
15. Build a Bold, Coherent Brand for New Brighton—And Back Local Creators to Tell the Story
Problem: New Brighton has no consistent brand. The signage is generic. The council’s digital comms are flat, unmemorable, and inconsistent. Online messaging lacks direction and craft—often feeling like a checkbox exercise. Meanwhile, an entire generation of skilled content creators and visual storytellers live right here, completely untapped.
Proposal: Create a unified brand identity for New Brighton—distinct from Wirral Council’s bland civic templates. Develop clear messaging pillars, tone of voice, visual systems, and content principles that reflect who we are: creative, characterful, seaside-proud, and future-focused. Then—crucially—put the tools in the hands of the community. Empower our local photographers, filmmakers, writers, and influencers to lead the charge.
Implementation Route: Commission a place branding initiative, but skip the usual consultancies. Run it in collaboration with local studios, designers, and residents. Launch a “New Brighton Creators Fund” to support community content. Set up a creator studio in one of the town’s empty units, offering equipment, editing bays, workshops, and mentorship. Develop an open-content library to distribute and amplify.
Examples: Margate’s place brand was co-designed with creatives and rolled out across signage, digital, and social. Folkestone’s ‘Creative Quarter’ branding made the town feel fresh again without gentrification. Scarborough and Southport have both overhauled their digital messaging with clean, focused visual identities and local involvement.
Why It Matters: A brand is not just a logo—it’s how we’re seen, how we speak, and how we feel about our own town. It’s time New Brighton had a voice that matches its soul—and a digital presence that isn’t managed like a council bin collection alert. We’ve got the talent. Let’s activate it.
16. Build Dignity: Tiny Homes to Tackle Homelessness
Problem: Temporary housing is costing Wirral millions each year—and doing little to break the cycle of homelessness. Vulnerable people are placed in unstable, isolating environments with no path toward recovery, security, or dignity. Meanwhile, plots of council land sit unused, and we act as if there are no alternatives.
Proposal: Launch a pilot project to build a cluster of high-quality, small-footprint “tiny homes” for homeless residents—providing private space, stability, and wraparound support services. These are not sheds or gimmicks—they’re fully equipped, beautifully designed micro-dwellings that restore agency and rebuild lives.
Implementation Route: Partner with proven UK and international models (e.g. Canada’s Homes For Heroes, Edinburgh’s Social Bite Village, or the UK’s Hope Rise project in Bristol). Identify disused or underutilised council land. Use modular construction methods to keep costs low and timelines short. Support residents with on-site health, employment and social care services.
Examples:
Canada: Homes For Heroes has successfully reintegrated veterans into society via tiny home communities.
Edinburgh: The Social Bite Village has seen dramatically lower rates of relapse into homelessness.
Bristol: Hope Rise uses rooftop space to house young people at risk—backed by a housing association and the city council.
Why It Matters: This is about more than housing—it’s about dignity. It’s about fiscal responsibility. And it’s about stepping up where others stall. Wirral could lead on this. New Brighton could pilot it. And lives could change—permanently.
Build Bigger, Together
Regeneration isn’t a PowerPoint deck. It’s not a planning consultant’s fantasy map. It’s a lived process—messy, ongoing, and only successful when it roots itself in place.
New Brighton deserves more than praise in passing. We deserve action, investment, and vision. Most of these ideas could begin tomorrow—if there’s the will. But if we’re forced to wait for new leadership to get there, so be it.
I’m not going anywhere—and if the 2027 ballot is the route, I’ll be ready.
Let’s stop waiting to be saved. Let’s build. Together.
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