A NIGHT-TIME ferry service could be set up as part of a multi-million pound scheme to regenerate a stretch of Wirral waterfront.

Developers BDP want Mersey Ferries to run extra crossings to attract visitors from Liverpool to Woodside. The last ferry is currently 7pm.

The proposal is part of a masterplan drawn up by the firm to help restore the fortunes of the once-thriving area and will be presented to Wirral council next month.

A spokesman for Mersey Ferries said: "We would look very seriously at providing an enhanced service if the demand was there."

Other recommendations include re-aligning the A41 to make it easier to reach Woodside and launching a marketing campaign to raise the area's profile as a night-time destination outside the borough.

Steve Parry, managing director of Neptune, one of the groups behind the scheme, said: "Planning is where most of the difficulties arise in new developments and getting the baseline right by adopting a masterplan is vital.

"Our aspiration is creating some sustainable activities and attractions at Woodside. It used to be a bustling part of Birkenhead but now it is almost a ghost town, particularly out of office hours."

The council wants to capitalise on Woodside's magnificent views of Liverpool's waterfront and create a high quality development mixing commercial buildings with leisure and residential use.

A top hotel and an iconic high rise building are still key parts of the scheme and a tall buildings study will be carried out to ensure it is in keeping with the area.

The council is in talks with private land owners to buy up other sites around the ferry terminal. Last year, regeneration board Wirral Waterfront revealed that it planned to create closer links between the town centre and the ferry terminal.

It is hoped it will encourage more people to use the crossing, especially the many tourists expected to flock to the city during 2008 and visit Wirral on the back of it.

Work is expected to start later this year in the hope of completing the project in time for Liverpool's year as Capital of Culture in 2008.

David Ball, head of regeneration and housing, said: "The Woodside area in Birkenhead has fantastic potential for high quality waterfront developments for office, residential, hotel and conference facilities and already, a number of major developers are showing a strong interest in this area.

"The area has the best views of the World Heritage Site on the Liverpool waterfront and mixes linkages with the historic past of Wirral, with its close proximity to the magnificent collection of listed buildings at Hamilton Square, with an ease of access to a world class waterfront and excellent linkages to town and city centres and the national motorway and rail networks.

"Optimism is high for a series of landmark developments which will transform the waterfront, providing a quality of conception and design that will further enhance the national and international reputation of the area."