Fylde Council has appointed a consortium headed up by consultants Building Design Partnership Ltd (BDP) to develop an ambitious masterplan that will help to plan the future of St Anne’s Town Centre and seafront. BDP brings together a vast amount of experience and expertise from a number of professions including the visitor economy, land and property, retail, market research and economic analysis.
A key element to the development of the masterplan is community and stakeholder engagement. On Monday 8th November, Francis Glare from BDP attended the St Anne’s Enterprise Partnership (STEP) to outline the scope of the work they are undertaking and the proposal for wider engagement to enable stakeholders to share their views as the masterplan is developed.
Francis Glare said “We are excited to be working with Fylde Council to develop a masterplan for St Anne’s Town Centre and seafront, and a significant element of this project will be stakeholder engagement. Attending the STEP meeting so early in the process was very positive as it enabled me to understand first-hand how enthusiastic local people are about the Town Centre and seafront and to tap into their ideas for the future of St Anne’s.”
Veli Kirk, Chair of STEP added “We had such a positive response to the STEP meeting with over 100 businesses and stakeholders attending to hear the scope of the works BDP will be undertaking. This demonstrates the level of interest in our town centre and seafront and how, if we all work together, we can develop a positive vision for the future. I’d like to thank Francis and Council officers for attending and sharing information on this important project.”
Cllr Richard Redcliffe, Chairman of Fylde Council’s Town Centres Working Group added: “Our whole community has an interest in St Anne’s Town Centre and it is important that they are engaged in the plans that will shape its future. BDP’s comprehensive community engagement plan was influential in their winning the contract to help Fylde Council develop its plans for the town centre and I am very pleased with the level of interest that has been shown by local businesses. I look forward to the events with other sectors of our community as the project develops.”
The STEP meeting was a good early opportunity to listen to local ideas, but this is only the very beginning of this exciting project. A market research company has been employed to carry out a survey of local people to help us understand how people use the town centre, what people like and dislike about the town and what they feel is missing. If you are contacted by our market researchers, we would ask that you spend a few minutes of your time to help make the right decisions about the town’s future.
There will be lots of opportunities for you to share your thoughts and ideas about what you would like to see for St Anne’s. The results from all of the engagement activities will feed into a masterplan, which will be produced to help shape the future of the town and direct investment into the resort.
Keep an eye out for further engagement opportunities by checking in on the Council’s website and social media channels!
Further information on the scheme:
The development of the Masterplan includes funding from Lancashire County Council’s £12.8m Economic Recovery Growth Fund, which supports projects to help local economies to bounce back from the impacts of Covid-19.
The aim is to kickstart the development of transformational schemes that will make a major economic recovery contribution and create jobs in parts of Lancashire which have been hardest hit, stimulating growth and unlocking further investment.
The commission will focus on two main study areas including the Town Centre and the Island site. The work is scheduled to be completed by April 2022 to align with anticipated timescales for Round 2 of the Government’s Levelling up Funding Programme.
The commission will be funded by Fylde Council and Lancashire County Council.
Development of the Masterplan continues as BDP Consultants continue to speak with key stakeholders, gathering insights and baseline data. Below shows what consultations have taken place so far and what is coming up in the future. Keep checking this page and look out for local PR and social media platforms for updates.
Development of the St Annes Town Centre and the Island Masterplan continues apace, as consultants met on Tuesday 2 February 2022 with the elected members of St Annes Town Council to discuss their vision for the project and seek their views on how best to bring prosperity to the town.
This follows meetings in November 2021, where experts from Building Design Partnership Ltd (BDP), the agency appointed by Fylde Council to lead the consortium responsible for the development of the Masterplan, met with Fylde Council’s Town Centre Working Group and St Anne’s Enterprise Partnership (STEP) to outline the scope of their work and provide opportunity for feedback. A household survey was also conducted to directly contact residents and obtain an understanding of their needs and preferences.
The project seeks to revitalise the town centre of St Annes through a collaborative effort with all stakeholders, including householders, residents, businesses, and the owners of key sites and premises in the town centre and island. The development of the Masterplan includes funding from Lancashire County Council’s £12.8m Economic Recovery Growth Fund, which supports projects to help local economies bounce back from the effects of COVID-19.
Cllr Karen Buckley, Leader of Fylde Council, said: “We know how much admiration people have for St Annes, and it’s vital to our plans to ensure residents and business owners have their say in the future of the town. Our aim is to make our beautiful town and seafront even better for everyone, whether locals or visitors. Giving people the chance to make their opinions heard is essential to making this happen.“Further engagement opportunities will be occurring through the next few months. Residents and businesses can share their thoughts and ideas about what they would like to see for St Annes, and these ideas can feed into the masterplan to shape the future of the town. I urge all businesses to get involved and respond to invites when received. Don’t miss this opportunity to voice your views.”
A two-week in-person public consultation exhibition will offer people the chance to view the plans so far, and details of private sector consultation webinars will be coming soon. Details about these events, as well as the current version of the Masterplan Communications & Engagement Plan, can be found on Fylde Council’s dedicated webpage for the St Annes Regeneration Project here: https://new.fylde.gov.uk/stannesregen/
Nov 2021 – 31 May 2022
| Engagement Activity | Approx. Date of Activity | Specific meetings/workshops | Associated PR & Comms Activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEP meeting Nov 21 | Complete | BDP outlined programme to businesses & local stakeholders | Press release issued |
| Town Centre Working Group Nov 21 | Complete | BDP outlined programme to the working group | Press release above |
| Household Survey | Complete | Direct contact with householders | Press release above |
| Visitor economy | Complete | Direct contact with key private sector hoteliers, accommodation providers etc. | N/A |
| Key Sites & Premises | Complete | Direct contact with key private sector stakeholders re: premises and landowners, town centre & Island | N/A |
| Planning/Landscape/Conservation | Complete | Workshop/direct contact with relevant Council officers | N/A |
| Transport & Travel | Complete | Workshop/direct contact with relevant Council officers | N/A |
| Develop and update information on dedicated Webpage | Ongoing | Online ‘live’ webpage with all the latest information & contact details | Web page live here. |
| Progress Update | Complete | Progress update Press Release | Press release issued Webpage update Social media |
| Lancashire County Council (LCC)/Lancashire Enterprise Partnership/Marketing Lancashire | Complete | BDP Workshops/Direct contact (within the various themes, i.e. transport/tourism) | N/A |
| Town Council consultation 1 Feb | Complete | BDP Consultation with the Town Council | Website updated |
| Visitor Economy Options Workshop 17 Feb | Complete | Workshop with Council officers/Marketing Lancashire/Tourism & Leisure Committee Chair/Deputy Chair & St Annes Mayor | N/A |
| 2 x Business Consultation Webinar(s) 24 Feb 10am-11.15am and 6pm-7:15pm | Complete | BDP consultation with private sector | Website updated |
| St Annes Councillors consultation (LCC/Fylde Council & LCC Cabinet Member) 1 Mar | Complete | Consultation for those St Annes Councillors who have not yet been consulted. Further details to follow. | Website updated |
| STAIR 3 Mar | Complete | Session resulting from the Business webinars | Website updated |
| MP 4 Mar | Complete | Focused meeting with Mark Menzies MP and BDP to raise the profile and gain support of the Masterplan, in terms of a potential levelling up funding bid, or other investment opportunities. | Website updated |
| Public Consultation Exhibition 3 weeks: 14 March - 1 April 2022 | Underway | 3 week in-person exhibition: Mon 14th March 10am-5pm – town centre presence, also available in the Town Hall Tues 15th 10-7pm – Town Hall (late night) Weds 16th 10-5pm – Town Hall Thurs 17th 10-7pm – Town Hall (late night) Fri 18th 10-4.30pm – Town Hall Saturday 19th 9-12 noon – town centre presence Mon 21st – Fri 25th 10-4.30pm – Town Hall Online continuing until 1st April | Press release issued Social media Newsletter Website updated |
| YouTube Video 14-25 March | Complete | BDP created as an element of the 2-week public exhibition. Cllr Karen Buckley narrated. | Website updated |
| Primary & High Schools | Complete | Notification of public consultation, dates & QR | N/A |
| Businesses and business groups | Complete | Notification of public consultation, dates & QR | N/A |
| Town Centre physical presence | Mon 14th Mar and Sat 19th Mar | Officer and BDP presence in the town centre on Mon 14th Officer presence in the town centre on Sat 19th | Press release Social media Posters displayed Website updated |
| Community Organisations and Community Groups | Complete | Notification of public consultation, dates & QR | N/A |
| Posters displayed temporarily within the Town Centre & the Island | Complete | Notification of public consultation, dates & QR | N/A |
| Special Edition Newsletter | Complete | Special edition produced to further promote the public consultation | Website updated Social Media |
| Flyers printed 23rd Mar | Complete | Over 1500 flyers printed for distribution as below | N/A |
| Churches, libraries and other third sector organisations | Complete | Flyers hand delivered | N/A |
| Enforcement Officers distribution | Complete | Flyers hand delivered | N/A |
| Beach Event Weekend 26/27th Mar | Complete | Physical exhibition and officer presence as part of this Beach event, with flyers available | N/A |
| Consultation continues to be available online | Closes 1st April | Consultation documents will remain online until cop 1st April. | N/A |
Our press release can be found here.
