Knowsley Council has agreed to invest a further £50,000 in Kirkby Town Centre after approving a refurbishment package for Kirkby Market.
Work is already under way on the refurbishment, which will continue over the coming months.
The funding will be used for a variety of projects, including replacement of some external awnings, repainting of external areas and some shutters, as well as deep cleaning in and around the Market. New bollards will be installed to the north of the Market to improve pedestrian safety, and new signage will be installed.
Kirkby Market occupies a prominent site by linking together the new retail development and the rest of the town centre and is home to over 50 different businesses offering an array of goods and services, including delicatessens, podiatry, a café, a greengrocer, homewares, toys, cards, cakes, pets, mobile phones, clothing, nail salon, DIY, and more.
The Market is open from 9.00am to 4.30pm six days a week (Monday to Saturday).
Kirkby has benefitted from significant investment over the last two years, most notably the Council’s £43.6 million purchase of Kirkby Town Centre which kick-started the construction of the retail development.
The Council was supported by the Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor and Combined Authority, which has pledged up to £15m to support the development of Kirkby Town Centre.
In just two years, a Morrisons superstore and petrol station and KFC and Taco Bell drive-through restaurants have been built and opened with a larger Home Bargains store due to open on 22 January 2022. There are also hundreds of new short-stay (up to three hours free of charge) parking spaces for visitors to the town. The retail development has created almost 500 jobs so far with the vast majority secured by local residents.
Councillor Tony Brennan, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Development, said: “I’m delighted to see my hometown benefitting from investment. The transformation of the Town Centre in just two years is truly remarkable.
Kirkby Market has been a key focal point in the town for over 60 years so I’m delighted that we will now be investing in upgrades and improvements to this much-valued asset.
We know that the Market is hugely popular, both with local residents and others who travel further afield to visit it.
We want to ensure that Kirkby Market is a key attraction in Kirkby for the next 60 years and beyond, providing a vast array of goods and services under one roof.
It’s really important that we continue to invest in these essential facilities because they are so valued and needed by our communities.”