Plans to regenerate Skelmersdale town centre have been boosted thanks to a £285,000 fund from the Lancashire Economic Recovery and Growth (LERG) Fund, used to support projects which will help the local economy recover following the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Lancashire Economic Recovery and Growth Fund was created to help Lancashire bounce back quickly from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. It will provide immediate support to those areas of the economy hardest hit by the virus, as well as to invest in projects which have the greatest potential to deliver their full benefits in the medium to long term. This project supports these objectives.
The Regeneration Plan will be drawn up from a series of partner organisations and will update plans for the town centre given so much has changed since the original Skelmersdale Town Centre Masterplan in 2008, including:
- Considering updated proposals for Phase 2 of West Lancashire Borough Council’s Town Centre development to link the western entrance of the Concourse Shopping Centre over to the West Lancashire College campus.
- Reflecting the plans for a new Rail Station on the former Skelmersdale College site at Westbank/Glenburn.
- Identifying how pedestrian and cycle links can be improved across the Tawd Valley to better link to the new Rail station and the Glenburn site to the main part of the town centre.
Alongside the Regeneration Plan, some of the LERG funding will be utilised to draw up a detailed masterplan for the site of the former Glenburn Sports College. A significant part of the site has been set aside for a new railway station for Skelmersdale and the masterplan will offer greater clarity around the best options for the rest of site and help to support the wider masterplan for Skelmersdale.
This work will outline a phased approach for the remainder of the site, including detailed work around site investigations, utilities, and costings for preferred development, resulting in an outlines business case setting out options for the land surrounding the railway station in order to be prepared for opportunities to bid for further funding to develop the site.
The major scheme to build a railway station for Skelmersdale on the site of the former Glenburn High School is progressing well. Therefore now is a good time to begin looking in greater detail at development opportunities for the land surrounding the railway station, which will help to support and shape the overarching masterplan for the town.
Work will be continuing to develop businesses cases and site preparation studies for this land will ensure we are well placed to attract further investment.
West Lancashire Borough Council has also committed £50,000 of funding to the preparation of the Regeneration Plan which includes the development of business cases to support proposals for funding for delivering the developments in the town centre.