Public urged to have their say on future of Kirkham’s historic high street

Plans to transform and revitalise Kirkham’s famous Market Square and historic high street will be showcased this weekend.

Urban design specialists The Paul Hogarth Company are hosting a special public consultation event in the town centre on Saturday (September 25), between 10.30am and 2.00pm.

Display boards will be erected in Market Square detailing proposed enhancements to the Square itself, together with new town centre road layouts, improvements to pavements, lighting, seating, as well as tree planting and the creation of public art.

Staff from The Paul Hogarth Company will be on hand to answer any questions from local residents about the scheme – which is a central part of Fylde Council’s £10m regeneration masterplan for the town – as well as collect feedback.

These plans are now available to view online HERE

Andrew Haley, Director with The Paul Hogarth Company, said: “The design and consultation process started with focussed discussions in April, and we are now keen to present our developed design proposals prior to lodging a formal planning application for the scheme later this year.

“Saturday’s event on Market Square is an opportunity to see how comments made by local people and businesses over the last five months have helped shape the scheme as well as to identify ways in which it can still be refined.

“Local input and views are vital to the success of this important project. We would love for as many local residents and businesses as possible to give us their feedback, either in person on Saturday or via an online questionnaire accessed on the Kirkham Futures website.”

The public realm plans – updated after a similar consultation event was held in June – are centred around the regeneration of Market Square.

The proposed improvements will create a more attractive space for regular markets and a multi-use place to host a wide range of other events that attract visitors to the town.

Poulton Street, Preston Street and Freckleton Street and the junction with Church Street will be comprehensively improved, while it is proposed to rationalise on-street parking, keeping footways clear and promoting the use of the off-street car parks.

The proposed materials will strengthen Kirkham’s historic character, using sandstone paving, whinstone kerbs and large trees.

Handrails, seats, architectural lighting and bespoke public art, along with other elements of street furniture, will be crafted adding to the character of the historic town centre.

The Kirkham Futures masterplan – funded through Historic England’s High Streets Heritage Action Zone (HS HAZ) scheme and the Government’s Future High Street Fund (FHSF) – aims to re-energise Kirkham town centre by:

• Restoring and repurposing key buildings

• Improving the visual appearance of shops, streets and open spaces

• Introducing diverse uses of buildings to create new opportunities for retail, residential, employment, training and skills

• Encouraging new leisure and restaurant businesses to create a more diverse offer and enhanced evening economy

• Supporting sustainable economic and cultural growth

• Improving the health and wellbeing of residents through a range of cultural engagement programmes

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