The Chair of the Kirkby Town Board and Knowsley Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Development have shared their disgust at an article in a national newspaper which characterised Kirkby as having a “ghastly air of desertion.”
The piece, by journalist Christopher Howse failed to acknowledge the ongoing investment into the town and instead used historical stereotypical anecdotes and his own negative views to paint a inaccurate and disappointing picture of Kirkby in 2025.
Max Steinberg has written to the journalist directly. You can read his letter in full here:
Dear Christopher,
I read your article published in the Telegraph dated 1 April. My initial thought being it must be an April fool! That could be the only explanation surely, for an article that in its first line states – as fact – something completely untrue (something your own article later proves).
Sadly, this isn’t my only issue with this piece, that is strewn with inaccuracies, omissions and contradictions. I also wonder if you intended to come across as utterly condescending – as you certainly achieved it.
You begin by stating: “the town has repeatedly been promised regeneration but it has yet to materialise.” There follows rather long and rambling selective history of Kirkby, designed to paint the town and its people in the most negative light.
Yet, as you state yourself much later in the article, the reality is that £43.8 million has been invested in regenerating Kirkby town centre in recent years. That investment, led by the local Council – when the private sector failed to deliver – has brought the community a local Morrisons supermarket, something you also acknowledge the town had not had for decades. And would not have had for longer if the Council hadn’t stepped in. Yes – that retail offer does include ‘fast food’ outlets, but it also includes Home Bargains, Pure Gym etc. Work is also progressing on a second phase of retail development that will deliver a further 26,000 sq ft of modern space which has already attracted serious interest from major brands – further demonstrating the tangible commercial success of the town. Plus, the retail development alone has already created an additional 500 jobs for local people as well as boosting the local economy by £15.3m per annum – something else you have failed to mention.
There have also been 940 new homes built in the last 5 years helping to boost the population, a new train station, new library and Gallery, health centre, leisure centre, highways improvements and a new Kirkby Market. All of this information is publicly available and should you have wished you could have mentioned, but you carefully chose not to – so as not to ruin the fun of sneering at others and making judgements about areas that are not your own.
Instead, you use an anecdote from a resident in 1963 and a police report from 1975 all backed up with comments from a Pevsner Architectural Guide – not exactly relevant sources to assess the high street in Kirkby in 2025. But clearly these sources do seem to help you hammer home your message that Kirkby is to be firmly looked down upon. Words like insipid, ghastly, decline, frustrated hopes etc also help you to drive home your views. I will refrain from commenting on the fact you also mention the tragic death of James Bulger.
I am sorry that the prospect of a visit to Kirkby left you with some “trepidation” but as you remark yourself the “people here lack the methodical hostility often apparent in London,” so hopefully it wasn’t too difficult a visit for you in the end.
And whilst I am sure that my letter will have no influence whatsoever on your opinion of our town or its people, I think it is important to share my views. Views that are based on a real understanding of the town and its people. Having lived in Merseyside all my life, I am more than familiar with Kirkby – its history and also its potential too. That’s why I was delighted to be appointed as the Chair of the Kirkby Town Board back in 2024. In case you are not aware, this Board was created specifically to oversee a further £20 million of investment into the town. An investment that will be guided by local people who we have actively consulted with, and will continue to talk to about the future of their town – a town that they are quite rightly proud of.
I make no claim that the town’s regeneration is complete – there is still considerable work to be done but Kirkby is far from the forgotten wasteland you describe. In fact, I will leave you with some real facts about Kirkby. Facts that regrettably didn’t make it into your article but that are actually relevant to a commentary on Kirkby’s high street and might have been useful to include – for context:
- Kirkby was highlighted in the Financial Times as one of the top three best performing areas to economically recover from the pandemic and where in person spending is up 25%
- The BBC also highlighted a 160% increase in footfall in Kirkby – the highest increase in the whole of the UK
So, whilst you clearly wanted to paint a picture of decline and desperation, the actual facts speak for themselves. And what’s more, they are readily available to anyone – including journalists – who are actually interested in understanding the town. It is incredibly disappointing that you chose not to do this and instead provided a misleading and prejudiced article from start to finish. I think people – not just those in Kirkby – have the right to expect better from a national media outlet.
Regards,
Max Steinberg CBE DL
Chair of the Kirkby Town Board