The Government has allocated £19.5m to Kirkby as part of its Levelling Up Fund. A requirement of the funding was to establish a Town Board for Kirkby by 1 April 2024, with the Government sharing specific guidance on who should be represented on the Board.
The Kirkby Town Board will develop and implement a Long-Term Plan for Kirkby, setting out a vision for the town and priorities for investment and regeneration.
Guidance from the Department for Levelling Up states that Town Boards must be “run by local people for local people and bring together residents, business and community leaders to devise and agree a shared vision for the future”.
Following a public advertisement and subsequent recruitment process, the membership of the Kirkby Town Board has now been confirmed as:-
- Max Steinberg CBE DL, Chairperson
- The Rt Hon Sir George Howarth MP, Member of Parliament for Knowsley
- Councillor Tony Brennan, Shevington Ward Councillor, Knowsley Council Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Development
- Councillor Jayne Lonergan, Cherryfield Ward Councillor, Knowsley Council Cabinet Member for Resources
- Mike Harden, Chief Executive of Knowsley Council
- Andrew Devaney, Assistant Director of Investment, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
- Amie Parsonage, Portfolio and Partnership Officer for Knowsley, Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office
- Inspector Andrew Robinson, Kirkby Neighbourhood Inspector
- Reverend Graham Peel, Pastor of Northwood Chapel and Director of Kirkby Foodbank
- Julie Currie Willowbrook Hospice, Head of Retail
- Christine Vaudrey, Group Director of Strategy and Communications, Torus Group
- Matthew Parish, Chief Executive Officer of the Liverpool FC Foundation
- Dr Mike Merriman, GP at Millbrook Medical Centre, Kirkby and Clinical Inequalities Lead for NHS Knowsley
Max Steinberg CBE DL and Chairperson of the Kirkby Town Board said:
“It really is an exciting time for Kirkby. Already there’s been millions of pounds of investment to deliver a 94,000 feet2 retail development, which has helped to attract more visitors, businesses and residents into the town.
“Now, with the £19.5m Levelling Up resources, we can create a long-term plan for Kirkby and continue to build on the town’s transformation.”
The first meeting of the Kirkby Town Board took place on Friday 19 April 2024 and the next meeting will take place in July 2024.