West Lancashire Borough Council has granted full planning consent for St Modwen’s £10 million mixed use development in Skelmersdale.
The scheme, located between the existing town centre and the new college campus, will deliver 100,000 sq ft of retail and leisure space as a means of regenerating the wider area and keeping a greater percentage of consumer spending within Skelmersdale.
Around half of the space will be dedicated to the retail sector, while the remaining 50,000 sq ft will be divided amongst restaurant units, new bars and a multiscreen Reel cinema geared towards improving the town’s night time economy.
Projects director at St Modwen, Paul Batho, welcomed the council’s decision to grant planning approval and claims the scheme will prove immensely profitable for visitors to and residents of Skelmersdale.
He says; “This is the right outcome and great news for the people of Skelmersdale and for the town’s long term economy.
“Our scheme will transform the town centre, bringing essential retail and leisure, significant investment and new jobs, providing multiple benefits for the entire community.
“We are looking forward, with our partners and confirmed anchor tenant Reel Cinema, to getting started on site to bring this much anticipated scheme to fruition.”
St Modwen first put forward proposals for the site’s regeneration in 2007, when it was appointed by West Lancashire Borough Council and the Homes & Communities Agency to redevelop the largely vacant area. However, the onset of the financial crisis and ensuing recession meant that the plans for a £350 million, 500,000 sq ft mixed use development had to be scrapped.
Although the new plans are on a significantly smaller scale than the original project, they include a number of improvements to the public realm which will ease consumer access to the new centre and enhance the overall appearance of the surrounding area.
A new High Street, for example, will be constructed to provide a wider offering of retail units for potential tenants while public spaces will be created outside the adjoining public library and Nye Bevan Leisure Centre.
Portfolio holder for planning and development at West Lancashire Borough Council, Councillor Martin Forshaw, revealed that around 500 jobs are expected to be created as a result of the new scheme, plus a further unspecified number during the construction phase.
He continued; “I am pleased that the Council’s Planning Committee has resolved to grant planning permission for the St. Modwen Scheme.
“The regeneration of Skelmersdale Town Centre, of which this proposal forms a significant part, will bring huge benefits to everyone in West Lancashire, not just those living in the town.”
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