Cash win to spruce up town centre
PLANS to improve Ormskirk bus station and make the town centre more attractive have been boosted by £755,000 funding from Historic England.
The money will match public funding put in by West Lancashire Borough Council and Lancashire County Council to deliver the High Street Heritage Action Zone programme.
Those funds have already been allocated and the programme will include physical improvements and cultural activities to help to regenerate the town centre over the next four years.
Projects included within the programme are the improvements to public realm areas, enhanced connectivity to access the town centre by walking, cycling and public transport and visual improvements to alleyways and public realm, to better highlight the town’s heritage.
An associated cultural programme, focussed on working with communities and local cultural organisations in developing sitespecific events, will also be designed to urge local people to engage with the heritage on their high street.
Cllr Ian Moran, leader of West Lancashire Borough Council, said: “This is great news and will help us build on the proud heritage Ormskirk has.
“This scheme was for historic town centres and high streets, which is why the council bid for Ormskirk.
“We are ambitious for the whole of West Lancashire and constantly looking for external funding schemes that might be used to enhance different areas.
“Prior to the pandemic construction work had begun on the Skelmersdale town centre regeneration scheme and we have been in discussions with the owners of the Concourse Shopping Centre on possible future phases of development.”