Fylde Council has submitted a £13.14 million bid to Round 2 of the Government’s Levelling Up Fund (LUF) that if successful will help kick-start the regeneration of St Anne’s Town Centre.
The £4.8 billion Levelling Up Fund has been established to invest in projects focused on town centre and high street regeneration, local transport, cultural and heritage schemes.
The proposals in Fylde’s bid will transform the public realm and connectivity from the Station Gateway to the Promenade, integrating the town centre and seafront and providing a linked, high-quality experience for residents and visitors alike.
Fylde Council’s LUF project forms a key element of the St Annes Masterplan, which has been prepared by experts in Seaside Town regeneration. The Masterplan aims to place St Annes at the heart of strategic development within the borough, recognising the investment in key infrastructure projects such as the £27m M55 link road and the construction of the new £12m St Annes Seawall at the Island site. The Masterplan is available to view at www.fylde.gov.uk/stannesregen
The bid shows strong alignment with the themes and ‘missions’ in the government’s Levelling Up White Paper, particularly in relation to transport infrastructure, health, wellbeing, and pride in place.
The LUF public realm and connectivity project will deliver:
- An active travel link for cyclists and pedestrians, from the station to the seafront.
- Improved public realm to encourage investment in the town, including: The Station Gateway; In the Town Centre and The Square; On the ‘pier link’ at St Anne’s Road West; Promenade Gardens.
- A new flexible events space at the heart of the town centre.
- Improved wayfinding, lighting and signage throughout the town.
The bid has been prepared in consultation with our key partners including Lancashire County Council, St Annes Enterprise Partnership, Mark Menzies MP and the wider residents and business community of St Annes.
Councillor Karen Buckley, Leader of the Council, said: “The St Annes Masterplan is a bold and exciting long term plan which seeks to secure the brightest possible future for the town centre and seafront. Our bid for £13.14 million will help kickstart our ambitions with specific projects that can be delivered in the coming three years. I’d like to express my thanks to all those partners who have contributed and supported our LUF application, as well as all those residents, businesses and other stakeholders who have engaged with us so far.”
County Councillor Aidy Riggott, Cabinet Member for Economic Development & Growth at Lancashire County Council, wrote in support of the bid: “The County Council is supportive of the Vision for St Annes as set out in the recently developed St Annes Masterplan. The bid and its proposal are fully aligned to broader Lancashire economic and regeneration activities and, importantly, will be integral to improving the lives and opportunities of local residents. As such, Lancashire County Council has allocated £500k match funding from its Lancashire Levelling Up Investment Fund, subject to approval of a final business case.”
Mark Menzies MP, Member of Parliament for Fylde, said: “I have been working with Fylde Council throughout the process of developing its masterplan for St Annes and am pleased to have reached the stage where a funding bid is ready for the first stages of that work.
“St Annes is a great place to live and work but continued investment is important. These proposals will enhance the town and help attract new businesses and development, and I am pleased to be supporting Fylde Council in its regeneration work.”
A decision on the Round 2 LUF application is expected to be communicated to applicants in Autumn of 2022. If funding is approved by the Government, project planning will start immediately, with the project to be completed by March 2025.
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