Knowsley prepares to resume Kirkby town centre regeneration
The second phase of the project will feature an additional 29,000 sq ft of shops fronting Telegraph Road following the completion of the 94,000 sq ft phase one next door in 2021.
Knowsley Council is ready to resume the regeneration of the Kirkby town centre site it acquired from St Modwen for £44m in 2019 after the project was paused following completion of the Morrisons-anchored initial phase.
A 1.4-acre site currently partly occupied by surface car park is earmarked for redevelopment into a 24,000 sq ft discount supermarket and a separate 5,000 sq ft unit.
“Credible national retailers” have shown an interest in the £4m project, according to a report to Knowsley Council’s cabinet.
The council plans to borrow £2m to part-fund the project and anticipates to make the money back from rental income within five years.
While phases one and two of Kirkby town centre’s regeneration are given over to retail and a gym – Home Bargains and PureGym feature alongside Morrisons in phase one – a later project billed as Kirkby Gateway features plans for a hotel, offices, and homes.
This scheme would be constructed immediately south of phase two according to an indicative masterplan.
Other completed projects within the town centre masterplan include the redevelopment of the site’s multi-storey car park and the refurbishment of the former Barclaycard building.
Plans to deliver a cinema on the site of the town’s former library have been in the pipeline since 2020 but were paused by the council in 2022 due to rising costs.
