Fylde Council has launched a search for consultants to draw up proposals to enhance St Anne’s town centre and ensure its future as a vibrant resort, supporting the needs of both residents and visitors.
Changes in retail habits, particularly the move to online shopping, have had a severe adverse impact on the health and vitality of most town centres across the country, and the restrictions introduced to reduce the spread of coronavirus have served to exacerbate these impacts. It is widely acknowledged that town centres will need to adapt if they are to survive and continue to meet the needs of both the local community and visitors to coastal resorts such as St Annes.
To ensure that St Annes town centre is well placed to face these challenges, Fylde Council is looking to secure both public and private investment that will boost the local economy.
To inform any changes and to support applications for government funding, a key part of the strategy will be to assess how the centre is currently used and how well it is performing. This information will be used to prepare a master plan that will guide future investment and development of not only St Annes town centre but ‘The Island’, which is a popular visitor destination in its own right, situated in a prominent location on the seafront.
Alongside this master plan, a marketing strategy will be developed that will promote St Annes as a quality resort destination and look to attract further investment in the town.
Cllr Richard Redcliffe, Chairman of Fylde Council’s Town Centres Working Group, said: “Over the years, Fylde Council has made considerable investments to ensure that the public spaces in St Annes town centre create a pleasant visitor experience for both local residents and the many visitors. However, we cannot rest on our laurels and we need to ensure that the St Annes town centre and the wider resort can adapt in a manner that retains the character and sense of place that makes the town so appealing. The successful bidder will work with the local community and the many stakeholders that have an interest in the town in order to produce a strategy that will secure the future of both the town centre and The Island.”
To view the FTS notice and to register your interest visit: https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/012474-2021
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