Earlier this year, Knowsley Council undertook a consultation with residents seeking views on major investment into Halewood.
Hundreds of people got involved and shared their views on the Halewood Investment Masterplan, which will see £30 million of investment ploughed into the town in the coming years.
The proposals aim to create a sustainable neighbourhood where residents have access to recreation and leisure facilities, sustainable transport connections and an improved retail offer.
Overwhelmingly, the response from residents to the consultation and to the planned investment into Halewood was really positive. Key findings from the consultation included:
- In total, 785 responses were received, with 180 residents attending in-person events.
- 65% of respondents supported the proposed improvements to Halewood Leisure Centre including internal improvements and modernisation, the creation of three new 3G multi-use games areas and a full decarbonisation programme to reduce carbon emissions and make the building more sustainable. There was also support to include a new site for Grace Church to support their expansion and ongoing community work.
- 58% of respondents supported the proposed improvements to transform Grace Park into a high quality (potentially Green Flag status) park. The plans include the creation of new play areas, play trails and benches, a new community area and meeting place, new public football pitches and new wetland areas along with improved lighting and CCTV.
- The park will also open up with a new footpath and cycleway access onto Leathers Lane linking to the shopping centre. The new access, which will be lit and covered by CCTV, will be for pedestrian and cycles only and will connect residential areas and Yew Tree Primary School and Halewood Academy through to the shopping centre and beyond. As part of the plans Halewood Town Junior Football Club will be provided with new purpose-built artificial pitches along with a new clubhouse with the potential for this to also provide café facilities to serve the new park. Proposals also include a new car park to be shared by Grace Park users and Halewood Town Junior Football Club.
- 67% of respondents supported the proposed connectivity improvements including the development of new separate cycle paths and footpaths to improve links across the town linking residential areas to the shopping centre, leisure centre, Grace Park, Finch Woods and also nearby employment areas. As part of the plans, additional car parking is proposed opposite the shopping centre, improvements planned for the leisure centre car park and a number of new electric vehicle charging points to be created at various locations.
- 58% of respondents supported the proposals to provide the opportunity to add to the towns existing retail offer with the creation of a retail development plot which will ultimately enhance the current retail offer in Halewood with improved access onto Leather’s Lane.
Having fully reviewed and considered the consultation responses received, there have been no fundamental issues raised that require any significant changes to be made to the proposals. Residents did however make a number of suggestions which will be addressed as detailed proposals are developed including looking to improve security and ASB. It was also noted that some respondents had raised concerns and objection to what they believed were proposals to create a road through Grace Park and or the removal of resident’s boundary fences adjoining both the park and Leisure Centre. For the avoidance of doubt and to reassure residents the proposals do not include a road access through the park, nor will any resident’s boundary fencing be removed.
Given residents support for the proposals, the next steps will now be for the Council to prepare and submit the necessary planning applications to support the delivery of these exciting plans for Halewood. It is anticipated that these applications will be submitted later this year. As part of the planning process, residents will have a future opportunity to provide feedback on the proposals.
Cllr Tony Brennan, Knowsley Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Development said:
“With Halewood set to benefit from such significant investment in the coming years, we want to be absolutely sure that our residents have the chance to influence and shape the plans for their town.
We are pleased that our proposals are supported by the majority of people who took part in the consultation and are confident that all Halewood residents will really see the benefit of this investment over the coming years. Thank you to everyone who took part and shared their views. I now look forward to seeing our plans for Halewood progress.”
Cllr Shelley Powell, Knowsley Council’s Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Communities commented:
“I am pleased to see that residents are welcoming of the improvements that are proposed. The investment into Halewood and the development of these proposals will bring many improvements to Halewood’s leisure centre, green spaces and connectivity in the area and as a resident myself I can’t wait for these facilities be available for use by everyone, it certainly is exciting times for Halewood.”
Last year Knowsley Council secured £15.3m Levelling Up funding from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and an additional £2.5 million from the City Region Sustainable Travel Settlement to invest in Halewood. In addition to this, the Council has secured around £13m in Section 106 contributions from developers delivering the East of Halewood housing development. This investment is already being ploughed into improved services and facilities in Halewood meaning that a total of £30 million will be ploughed into Halewood in the coming years.