12 May 2008, 08/103
Skelmersdale regeneration plan gets thumbs up from local
people
Multi-million pound plans to bring a new heart to Skelmersdale
town centre have been given strong support by local people.
A total of 1,879 people responded to West Lancashire District
Council’s invitation to give their views on the town centre
masterplan, and the majority were in favour of the proposals.
The masterplan includes the features that local people have said
they want in the town centre including a new high street, more
shops, another supermarket, a new leisure centre, community
facilities, improvements to the Tawd Valley, and housing.
A six-week consultation period was held to give people the
chance to comment. A newsletter and questionnaire was sent to every
house in the town and a special exhibition was held in the
Concourse. The questionnaires have now been analysed and the
results show that:
· The vast majority of those who took part 93% support the
proposals to create a new pedestrian-friendly high street with a
range of shops, cafes, bars, restaurants, a cinema and leisure and
community facilities
· 86% are in favour of moving the college,
library, swimming pool, sports centre and ecumenical centre to new
purpose-built facilities in the town centre
· The proposal to develop parts of Tawd Valley
for recreation and leisure won support from 91%
· 92% support for the proposals to create new
routes, links and car parks to allow better access to the town
centre
· 90% support proposals to move the bus
station at the Concourse to a new ground-level location, and
improve links to the town centre.
Proposals for new housing also won widespread
support:
· 73% backed proposals for new homes in the
town centre.
· The development of open areas of land near
Yewdale - improving the Tawd Valley and funding the new public and
leisure facilities in the town - won support from 80%.
· 68% of those who completed questionnaires
are in favour of proposals to demolish the Firbeck estate to allow
the town centre area to be planned and redeveloped, providing
residents are fully compensated and given alternative accommodation
options.
Proposals for new housing also won widespread support:
Les Abernethy, Deputy Chief Executive, said: "It is great that
so many people took the opportunity to fill in the questionnaires
and give their views on the masterplan. It’s clear that there is
strong support for the regeneration plans. We are now looking
closely at the results and will study the results of the
consultation before we make decisions to finalise the
masterplan."
The masterplan will be discussed at the Local Development
Framework Working Group meeting on 15 May. Following that, it will
be on the agenda at the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting on
5 June. Any views expressed by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee
will be passed on to the Cabinet meeting on 17 June, when a final
decision will be made on the masterplan.
Related information
> Skelmersdale
> Regeneration projects