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Policy S4: Kirkby Town Centre Action Area

1. Kirkby town centre is designated on the Proposals Map as an Action Area within which comprehensive development or redevelopment shall be permitted for the following:

- A major food store of up to 9,000 square metres in gross floorspace and/or comparison goods retail units; and a mixture of other town centre uses which shall complement the retail element and which may include a mix of the following uses:

- Professional and financial service uses (Class A2);
- Food and drink uses (Class A3);
- Office uses (within Use Class B1), particularly on first floors;
- Hotel (Class C1);
- Residential Institution (Class C2);
- Residential use (Class C3);
- Non-residential institutions (Class D1);
- Assembly and leisure uses (Class D2); and
- A petrol filling station.

2. The Council as Local Planning Authority will support the implementation of the following public transport schemes affecting Kirkby town centre:

- Part of line 1 of the proposed Merseytram system; and
- Improvements to Kirkby bus station and public transport interchange facilities; and
- Kirkby Town Centre public transport improvements

3. The Council may use its site assembly powers to enable the Action Area proposals above to be implemented.

Explanation S4

7.28

Kirkby town centre was developed in the post war period, and provides shops, a market, swimming pool, municipal and other offices and services mainly for local residents. The heart of the centre is arranged around a pedestrianised area at St. Chad’s Parade.

7.29

A previous major food retailer (Asda) vacated a store in the centre in the late 1970s, and the building has subsequently remained vacant. A key issue facing the centre is the need to attract a major food or other form of retail development which would restore and enhance the centre’s role as a shopping centre.

7.30

The Council has for many years been active in pursuing the regeneration of the centre, including for example the implementation of environmental enhancements and improvements, concentrated on the retail core around St Chad’s Parade. There remains, however, a fundamental need to pursue further regeneration activity based around the need for further shopping based development.

7.31

The most significant potential development site is on the northern side of the town centre, adjacent to County Road and Hall Lane. The land includes the vacant former Asda store, a nearby bingo hall and other land. An existing Development Brief (see footnote ⁸) identifies the area as suitable for the erection of a medium sized supermarket, a leisure development and related food and drink uses, together with a petrol station. Outline planning permission was also granted for the scheme but has not been implemented.

7.32

The Council now considers that a larger food superstore of up to 9,000 square metres will be required together with further non-food shopping provision of at least 2,000 square metres of floorspace over the period to 2011. Should no operator be forthcoming for the superstore, the Council would consider, as an alternative, the provision of additional non-food retail units.

7.33

The redevelopment may include other parts of the town centre, perhaps incorporating (in addition to the uses identified above) an upgrade or relocation of the existing market facilities.

7.34

A further significant issue which will affect the town centre is the proposed Merseytram scheme (see chapter 8 “Transport”), line 1 of which is scheduled for implementation in the period up to 2005 to 2007. The line will enter the town centre from the southeast along County Road, and will terminate at the existing bus station site on Cherryfield Drive. It is also proposed (within the Local Transport Plan) to upgrade the bus station facilities within the Plan period, possibly including new bus interchange facilities.

7.35

A key requirement is the need for the new retail development to be well located and designed in relation to the public transport improvements listed above. Due to the current uncertainties concerning the form of the proposed town centre redevelopment, the Council has designated the whole of the town centre as an Action Area.

7.36

The Development Brief approved in 1997 will guide future development proposals in the short term. However, this may be updated in the longer term by a more comprehensive town centre strategy which will be used by the Council to help it determine planning applications.

Policy Links
Policy T2	“Merseytram system”
Policy T3	“Other Public Transport Schemes”
Policy T10	“Access for the less mobile”
Policy DQ1	“Design Quality in New Development”
Policy DQ2	“Security in the built environment”

⁸ “Asda Environs site – Development Brief”, 1997