Kirkham: Going to market

The old market town of Kirkham is going back to the future.

Its £10m regeneration masterplan is being described as a “once in a generation” opportunity to transform its fortunes.

Kirkham can trace its origins back to Roman times. Once a booming textile town, it made the sailcloth for the Royal Navy that ensured Britannia could rule the waves.

But with the mills long gone and its high street facing increasing economic challenges, in common with many of our market towns, Kirkham’s fortunes dipped.

All the banks closed; shop units and landmark historic buildings stood empty. Something needed to change. That change is now in the air, with an ambitious regeneration scheme that will see Kirkham look to return to its roots as rural Fylde’s vibrant market town.

The four-year Kirkham Futures masterplan will be funded through various streams secured by Fylde Council’s regeneration team.

Kirkham has been awarded £6.3m from the Government’s Future High Street Fund (FHSF) – the only town in Lancashire to win a piece of the pot.

This followed hot-on-the-heels of the £3.6m secured through Kirkham’s successful bid to become one of Historic England’s High Streets Heritage Action Zones (HS HAZ).

With the money, historic buildings will be bought and transformed – with a range of innovative new uses planned.

Major improvements will be made to the public realm and opportunities created to help existing businesses bounce back and thrive post-pandemic but encourage new ones to open.

There is also hope that Lancashire County Council will add a substantial sum in the region of £4.6m to the regeneration cash pot.

Andrew Chatterjee, Fylde Council’s Kirkham Futures programme manager, says: “There is a lot going on. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for Kirkham.

“Kirkham is a very old town, one of those places that’s been neglected over the years. 

“Some of the buildings on the high street are grand Grade II listed properties full of history and character. The idea is to restore all that and use the Future High Street money to buy some of the empty buildings. We have a full regeneration plan. We want to create a vibrant market town.”

That plan includes spending more than £1.5m on Market Square, creating a vibrant area with a public events space. “We’re really looking at Kirkham going back to its roots as a market town,” Andrew explains.

“Places like Kirkham are fighting against bigger towns, so they have got to give people something different. For us it is all about placemaking, its heritage and culture, that’s the offer.”

The masterplan includes developing a new ‘Heritage and Eco Skills Centre’ in the former Hillside restaurant, a listed Georgian building, and the creation of an arts centre and community cinema in the former TSB bank. Both have stood empty for some time.

The plan is also to purchase the Kirkgate Centre allowing for the development of key empty shop units and the creation of new affordable town centre housing

The restoration and improvement of traditional shop fronts and homes within Kirkham’s Conservation Area is another major initiative.

Shopkeepers and landlords are being urged to sign up to the scheme to restore their properties to their former historic glory, with grants of up to 90 per cent available.

More than 35 property owners in Kirkham’s central Conservation Area have already signed up, with cash available to reinstate historic features, including timber sash windows, slate roofs, timber shop fronts, brickwork pointing and guttering.

There is also the opportunity to create residential use in the upper floors. The aim is to use local builders and suppliers.

Andrew says: “It will really change the look of the place and will probably have the most impact in terms of what people will see, giving a pre-First World War feel.”