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LEADING house builder Lovell has officially signed up to be the private sector partner in Wirral's housing market renewal programme for Rock Ferry.

The partnership will result in a £37m plus programme of new build housing in the Fiveways neighbourhood of Rock Ferry.

The Fiveways area in Wirral will be transformed through the building of 283 new homes in three phases over the next six years, predominantly family properties for sale, rent and shared ownership, to be provided by Lovell and its housing association partner, Riverside Housing.

The signing of the Development Agreement and building lease for Phase One is the culmination of a great deal of preparatory work by both Lovell, Riverside Housing and the Housing Market Renewal team at Wirral Council. It means that work starts now in building the 114 new homes which makes up Phase One.

Bruce Lister, Regeneration Manager for Lovell, says: "We have been working with the community and our partners to develop these proposals for some time now, and the signing of the agreement is a key milestone in the development process. After a short period of mobilisation, works will commence in June, when we can start to turn these plans into firm reality.

"I cannot praise the local residents enough for their honesty, patience and determination to back these proposals for the radical transformation of their neighbourhood."

Chris Bowen, HMR manager in Wirral, added: "We are delighted that the agreement has been signed, to see the first 114 new homes built. I thank the residents for the support for the scheme and it wouldn't have happened so quickly without their help. It has taken less than four years from starting consultation with residents to acquiring over 250 homes to releasing the first site for new build. Four years may seem like a long time but this scheme has moved forward a lot faster than many others of its size and complexity. The scheme is an exciting development in the regeneration of the Rock Ferry."

The HMR programme in Wirral is part of the NewHeartlands pathfinder on Merseyside. Major interventions are underway in many of the area's most run-down neighbourhoods, such as Anfield, Bootle and Kensington. The scheme uses a mix of refurbishment, clearance and new build to revitalise the housing market and economy of these areas. Work is carried out in partnership with local authorities and leading home builders such as Lovell, Bellway, Keepmoat and David Wilson, in full consultation with local people.

In Wirral, work is already underway on the Fiveways estate, clearing undesirable properties in advance of the new homes.