Wirral charity Autism Together is sharing details of its continuing plans for the development and restoration of a range of buildings and sites in historic Bromborough Pool Village.
Last year, following the gifting of three Grade-II listed buildings to Autism Together, the charity asked the Wirral community about their use of the village and what changes and improvements they would like to see, going forward.
The buildings, gifted by Riverside Housing, were the village’s former school (now called the Enterprise Centre), Giles Shirley Hall and the former St Matthew’s Church building.
Having taken the results of the public consultation meetings and questionnaires into account, Autism Together has drawn up a five-year plan for improvements that either the organisation or the public would like to see in the village.
Angie Kemp (pictured), Autism Together’s director of Business Development, said: “Following a community consultation in 2023, Autism Together appointed heritage-approved architects Paddock Johnson to design a master plan for the new buildings and land.
“This masterplan shows the exciting future potential of the area, which will benefit Autism Together’s day services operating from these buildings, and also the wider village and community as a whole.”
Plans for the Enterprise Centre include repairs to its exterior stonework, followed by a sympathetic reconfiguring of the building’s layout to provide a beneficial environment for the people the charity supports.
This will encompass a sensory pod, improved kitchen and welfare facilities, plus an accessible all-weather courtyard area with glazed roof. The refurbishment plans include a multi-functional space for use by up to 50 people, which would be available to book – free of charge – by community groups for events at evenings and weekends, therefore increasing public access and use of these historic buildings.
Chris Cullen (pictured left), Autism Together’s director of Estates & Facilities, said: “This development work will not detract from the external façade, from a heritage point of view, instead enhancing it by removing a linked section which is not in keeping with the building’s overall aesthetic.
“We plan to raise over £400k in funding for the Enterprise Centre’s exterior work alone, ensuring this beautiful structure, which holds many memories for the local community, remains an important part of the village.”
Another vital planned change will be to improve parking, by replanning the existing car park area which sits adjacent to the charity-run Bromborough Pool Café & Shop, to create a one-way system with drop-off area for people accessing day services.
It is hoped the impact of traffic will be minimised on the village during drop-off and collection periods. As part of the work, the entire car park surface would be resurfaced and improved.
The redevelopment work will also include changes to benefit the autistic adults who access Autism Together’s services within the village. This will include internal development within the church building to create a multipurpose space, and a re-zoning of the garden area behind the Café & Shop.
The latter redesign would provide a range of new activities, including sensory pods, an exercise zone with sunken trampolines, an all-weather track for cycling, and outdoor gym equipment.
There are also plans for an enhanced area to house the small animals that reside on site – rabbits, guinea pigs and chickens. Caring for these animals provides tasks and enhances skills for people accessing this service. The animals are also popular with customers, who enjoy petting sessions in the area behind the café.
Other enhancements to this external space, to benefit people supported by the charity, include a plant growing area, a socialising area, a work skills area, and the addition of modular classrooms.
Another exciting addition for the village will be a Community Growing Space. In this managed area, the local community can adopt small plots of land to grow items. Autism Together will manage the rental of these spaces, with preference given to people living in the village.
Finally, the charity intends to create an Urban Garden Zone at the north-eastern edge of the village. This will involve the repurposing of an area owned by Autism Together, which houses some old garages and a small parcel of land, that is currently underused due to a lack of facilities.
The charity plans to remove the garages and build an attractive new single-storey property, in keeping with the design of other buildings in the village. This property would enhance the charity’s residential offer to autistic adults, in the form of a new Supported Living service for eight individuals.
