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• Majority support regeneration of Kirkby

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The majority of people who took part in a consultation exercise about the future of Kirkby town centre stated the need for major regeneration.

Anyone who lives, works or has an interest in Kirkby was given the opportunity this summer to have their say on potential approaches to develop Kirkby town centre.

More than 950 questionnaires were completed and more than 1,100 comments provided through the questionnaires and other feedback such as emails and letters as part of the Your Kirkby, Your Future consultation.

This was the initial stage of an extensive consultation process organised by Knowsley Council to gain an early indication of the views of people well in advance of any decisions being made or planning permission being submitted.

An independent company called Base Line Research and Survey (of Liverpool John Moores University) was commissioned to analyse the comments.

Base Line’s findings show that some people fully support the idea of major regeneration, while others have expressed concerns about the potential impact of a large-scale development.

The top nine questions raised by people were about:

1. The role of the stadium
2. Traffic congestion and pollution
3. Reduced quality of life
4. Increases in crime and disorder and anti-social behaviour
5. Noise and light pollution
6. Loss of green space, sports areas and schools
7. Effects on property values
8. Possible increased costs to Knowsley Council
9. The future consultation process

The exercise also revealed that many people were still undecided, with others wanting more information on elements of the proposals before they make a decision.

Every household in Kirkby will be receiving a summary of the findings, which also include how the Council plans to address the main concerns.

Kirkby councillor Eddie Connor, Cabinet member for Culture, Leisure and Communities said: “We have listened to the views of Kirkby people and it is now our duty to act on them and further explore the regeneration of Kirkby town centre, while making sure that the developers fully address the concerns raised. The regeneration of Kirkby would have benefits for the whole of Merseyside.

“This was just the start of a long consultation process and has provided us with valuable information that we will use to get the best possible outcome for our residents and businesses. This is something the people of Kirkby deserve and we will continue to work with residents and business owners to take on board their views as part of any future consultation.”

The council now plans to revisit the masterplan for Kirkby town centre during the next few months to resolve the issues that came out of this early consultation and develop a vision for the future of the town centre area.

-Ends-

Notes to editors:

This was the biggest ever consultation exercise undertaken by Knowsley Council, more than 2,500 attended events.

A wide range of consultation events were organised this summer. These included:

• An information brochure and questionnaire sent to every household in Kirkby
• Two-day community drop in event at the Kirkby Suite
• Five separate neighbourhood meetings
• Nine road show events across Kirkby
• A two-week exhibition in the Kirkby One Stop Shop
• Events for children and young people from Kirkby to ask the future generation what they like and dislike about their town and how they would like it to look in the future.

Anyone who attended the events or received the information brochure was presented with the details of possible approaches to develop the town centre. These are:

• An existing approach to develop Kirkby town centre, which follows current council’s policy. This could see gradual improvements to the existing town centre, possibly including a new bus station on Cherryfield Drive.
• A new approach to grow Kirkby town centre. This could involve a major re-development of the current town centre as outlined above as well as additional shop space, a Tesco superstore, a new stadium for Everton football club and leisure facilities.
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For more information, contact Jayne Pugh, Media Manager, Knowsley Council, 0151 443 3066.

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