26th October 2007, 07/373
Plan of action to give Ormskirk and Burscough new lease of
life
Draft action plans have now been drawn up to
revitalise Ormskirk and Burscough town centres.
In the latest stages of West Lancashire District Council's Market
Towns Initiative -an exciting project that aims to give the towns
and surrounding areas a new lease of life - health checks have now
been completed.
These identify the strengths and weaknesses of the areas and have
been put together thanks to the valuable input from the local
community, voluntary organisations, service providers and parish
council.
They have helped to inform the action plans for the future around
the four key themes: transport and accessibility, environment,
economy and social and community.
As a result the draft action plans were presented to the Market
Towns Initiative Steering Groups for consideration and they will
soon be put out to public consultation. A questionnaire will be
sent to all residents and employers asking for their views. The
plans will be finalised and launched in spring 2008.
Cllr Ian Grant, Portfolio Holder for Planning and Regeneration,
said: "This has been a project that has been led by the community
and their comments and views have been taken on board when putting
together the action plans. The plans themselves list the wishes and
aspirations of the community and after we have consulted on the
action plans we hope to make some of them a reality where possible.
I am particularly keen to identify those ideas that can be
implemented quickly and those where we need to secure the support
of our partners and funding bodies.
"We are grateful for all the hard work put in by members of the
public who are clearly proud of the district but want to make it an
even better place to live and work in."
For Burscough the draft plan proposes a number of projects such as
creating a focal point for the village through the renovation of
the Wharf Buildings, to provide a youth facility and a combined
community theatre and cinema. In addition it puts forward the
refurbishment of local parks, a by-pass to reduce the amount of
traffic in the town centre, better transport, the development of a
walk/cycle route, a market close to the town and incentives to
persuade more businesses to locate in the area. Information from
Burscough's Parish Plan has been added to the findings too.
Ormskirk's draft action plan puts forward a number of ideas to
publicise Ormskirk as part of a tourism route and encourage
visitors to Ormskirk and West Lancs generally. They include to make
the town centre more attractive by strengthening Ormskirk market,
such as holding farmers, continental and flea markets. Improving
public transport, cycling and pedestrian links with better
facilities for people with disabilities are all proposed to make
the town a better place to visit. In addition the plan includes
measures to reduce noise and alcohol related disturbances, to
develop a hotel and it supports the construction of the Ormskirk
by-pass.
If anyone would like further information about the project or to
view the findings from the health checks, visit the Market Towns
Initiative.
The Market Towns Initiative is a major regeneration project and has
been funded by the North West Development Agency through the Local
Strategic Partnership's Investing in Business Programme.
Related information
> Council
news
> Ormskirk
> Regeneration projects