Kirkham: Lancashire County Council agrees to plug town plan funding gap

The Kirkham Futures proposal aims to bring empty high street properties back into use

A council's plan to regenerate a town will be fully realised after another authority agreed to plug a funding gap.

Doubts were placed over Fylde Council's £9.5m plan for Kirkham when it was only awarded £6.2m from the government's Future High Streets Fund in May 2021.

Lancashire County Council (LCC) has now agreed to pay the remainder.

The Tory-led council's cabinet member for economic development Aidy Riggott said the scheme would bring many benefits to Kirkham.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said the Kirkham Futures proposal aims to bring empty high street properties back into use, repurpose historic buildings and create a new heritage centre and cinema in the town.

'Not working'

Kirkham was one of 72 towns and cities across England to be given a share of the government's fund, which is intended to boost the nation's high street offerings.

The popularity of the fund and the number of applications received meant the town did not get all the money it asked for.

An LCC meeting approved the allocation of the remainder needed on the basis that it will be subject to a business case, a funding agreement with Fylde Borough Council and "extensive due diligence".

Lorraine Beavers, the deputy leader of the Labour opposition group, told the meeting the government's Levelling Up agenda was "not working" for many of the county's towns.

She added that in Lancashire, the "most deprived communities are being disregarded in favour of the most affluent communities".

However, Mr Riggott said that was not the case and pointed to government support for projects in Burnley and Colne.

He also said that current efforts to secure a devolution deal for the county would enable Lancashire to be more successful in attracting inward investment and promoting economic development.