Work to remove Birkenhead's infamous 'Wotsit Street' has begun. The leader of Wirral Council recently confirmed all the street furniture and planters would be removed this month.
Since its controversial makeover last year, Grange Road West in Birkenhead has been widely dubbed 'Wotsit Street', with the road being ridiculed for looking like the cheesy snack. Bright orange and yellow road markings and street furniture were introduced as part of a traffic calming scheme that has led to a plethora of negative attention and mocking.
Removal Underway
Following a six-month trial of the scheme, the council confirmed the furniture and planters would be removed and parking would be reinstated on the road. Officials at the time said the introduction of the brightly-coloured road markings in particular had 'generated significant concern'.
Appearing on BBC Radio Merseyside earlier in the month, Cllr Paula Basnett, the leader of Wirral Council, confirmed that the furniture on Grange Road West will be gone by the end of August while the orange and yellow 'wotsit' markings are expected to be removed by the end of September.
Council Leader Calls Scheme a Waste
Cllr Basnett also said around £300,000 spent on the scheme was 'a waste of money', adding that 'it was not appropriate to have street furniture and planters on that particular road'.
Now in the second half of August, some of the planters and furniture have been taken away. Some of the street fixtures have been replaced with water filled barriers. The remaining pieces are also set to be gone very soon.
Future of the Road
The council has committed to donating all the removed furniture to schools and voluntary organisations. Once the infamous elements of the road are gone, the one way system will stay in place, while parking will be reintroduced.
The ECHO recently gauged locals' thoughts on the imminent removal of the markings and found the vast majority of people were delighted to see the back of the quirky design.
