Scaffolding is up and work has started on the first of Kirkham’s shopfront improvement projects as part of the Kirkham Futures programme.
Dawson’s Chippy at 4-6 Freckleton Street, Kirkham, is one of several properties to apply for and receive a grant for up to 80% of the design and build costs of reinstating the historic features of the shopfront, with funding contributions from Kirkham Town Council and Historic England’s High Street Heritage Action Zone.
Nos. 4 and 6 Freckleton Street are Grade II listed buildings dating back to the early 19th century, and the tall, distinctive landmark was formerly the Ship Inn, one of the original inns serving Kirkham as a busy Georgian market town, giving it great historical significance.
Following designs from a collaboration of architects working on the shopfront schemes from Preston based Conservation architects NWDC, Blackpool based Joe Boniface Architects and Kirkham based architects DCMG, the improvements – carried out by Bambers Building Contractors – will reinstate the timber painted sash windows and provide a new timber painted shopfront based on historic photographs of the previous appearance.
Councillor Karen Buckley commented: “It’s excellent to see the first of many enhancements to Kirkham’s shopfronts get underway. This restoration work will greatly improve the aesthetic of a historic building and contribute to Kirkham’s Conservation Area, while also supporting a much loved and successful business in Kirkham Town Centre.”
The High Street Heritage Action Zone shopfront and property improvement scheme seeks to revitalise historic Poulton Street, Preston Street, Freckleton Street and Market Square, plus areas falling within the Kirkham Conservation Area. By restoring and repurposing key buildings, improving the appearance of building frontages and streets, and introducing new and more diverse uses, the project seeks to make the centre more attractive to the community, to shoppers and to visitors.
Kirkham Futures is a 4-year programme of work to revitalise the town centre, representing the biggest investment in Kirkham in a generation, funded by the Historic England High Street Heritage Action Zone, the Government’s Future High Street Fund, and contributions from Lancashire County Council, Fylde Council, and Kirkham Town Council.
For more information about the Kirkham Futures programme, visit the Kirkham Futures website. To keep up to date on the latest developments in Kirkham and across Fylde, sign up to Fylde Council’s weekly email newsletter.
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