Kirkham appoints specialists to town centre regeneration project

Kirkham has appointed urban design and regeneration specialists The Paul Hogarth Company to advise on its £3.5m town centre regeneration project.

The company has previously worked on projects including Belfast’s waterfront and Titanic Quarter, creating a world-renowned tourist destination.

Working in partnership with Fylde Borough Council and Historic England, the team will will formulate and deliver plans to improve outdoor spaces within Kirkham’s Conservation Area, which includes the town’s famous Market Square and central streets.

The project will be funded by a £1.8m grant secured through Historic England’s £95m High Streets Heritage Action Zone (HS HAZ) scheme and topped up by funds from Fylde Borough Council and Kirkham Town Council.

This investment is a vital part of the wider £10m Kirkham Futures masterplan which aims to re-energise Kirkham town centre for residents, businesses and visitors by: restoring and repurposing key buildings; improving the visual appearance of shops, streets and open spaces; encouraging new leisure and restaurant businesses to create a more diverse offer and enhanced evening economy; and introducing diverse uses of buildings to create new opportunities for retail, residential, employment, training and skills.

Andrew Chatterjee, Fylde Council’s HS HAZ project manager, said: “The challenges Kirkham’s high street faces are significant, and transformation of the scale needed cannot be achieved without considerable investment, new thinking and new partnerships.

"We are therefore delighted to have appointed The Paul Hogarth Company. They have delivered many important regeneration projects over the last 30 years and their knowledge, skills and vast experience will be instrumental in delivering a successful project for Kirkham."

Andrew Haley, director with The Paul Hogarth Company, said: "This project truly resonates with our commitment to ‘making a difference by designing places and spaces with people and the environment at their heart’.

"Critical to the success will be the participation of local people and businesses and we look forward to working with as many as possible to help shape the designs. We want to ensure the proposals can make a really positive difference – not just as the town centre recovers from the impact of the pandemic, but as a sustainable vibrant place for the long-term. For that reason, we urge everyone to join #TheKirkhamConversation!"

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