Peel Holdings – owner of the Mersey Docks & Harbour Company – has unveiled plans for a mixed-use development in Wirral.

The £4.5bn waterside redevelopment scheme – named Wirral Waters – will transform Birkenhead Docks into an 18 million sq ft (1.7 million sq m) waterside destination.

A 571,000sq ft (53,000sq m) retail and leisure quarter at Bidston Moss will feature classical architecture accessible by pedestrian and cycle routes.

Facilities will include a new hotel, a health and fitness centre, bars and restaurants and shops.

In addition, more than 11 million sq ft (one million sq m) of residential apartments will provide more than 15,000 homes, plus there will be five million sq ft of office space.

Lindsey Ashworth, development director of Peel, said: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to transform this area of Wirral into a development of world-class status, creating great new places to live, work and relax.”

An outline planning application will be submitted next year and the development will be phased over a period of around 30 years. Details: www.peel.co.uk