MUSE40: ‘Muse sets the bar and has empowered our team and the decisions we make’

Stantec (formerly Barton Willmore) has been working closely with Muse over the last five years. Our teams work with Muse as part of the Wirral Growth Company, a joint venture regeneration partnership with Wirral Council.

We provide planning advice, alongside a suite of environmental and heritage services, for some of the most impactful regeneration opportunities across the Wirral.

This has included the 15-year masterplan for Birkenhead town centre with the first phase, two Grade A BREEAM Excellent-rated office buildings, completed in 2023.

We have also supported plans for significant numbers of new homes in Bromborough, and proposals for a new residential led mixed-use development in Moreton town centre.

As a joint venture partnership, the Wirral Growth Company is a strong example of Muse’s commitment to partnership working. It’s an impressive approach which extends beyond commercial relationships and includes reaching out and engaging with the community, and investing in employment, skills, and young people.

In Birkenhead we held over 50 engagement events with residents and stakeholders. We genuinely wanted to understand what people liked about the area, and what they didn’t. It meant that as a team we could deliver something which was meaningful and will have genuine impact over the long term.

The team’s positive approach to consultation in Moreton has also been held up as ‘best practice’ for future projects across the Wirral.

The Muse ethos – that regeneration is about much more than bricks and mortar – has empowered our team at Stantec and the decisions we make. In areas like social value, engagement, and sustainability Muse’s practical experience, vision, and thinking has been adopted by our teams as first principles.

Across the Wirral, Muse and the Wirral Growth Company has set the bar for what other investors and developers should aspire to achieve. The team has challenged the status quo, and in doing so will have a long-term impact on the lives and opportunities of communities across the Wirral.