New community and health facilities as well as new homes form the core of the Reimagining Crosby scheme for which Sefton Council is seeking £19.2m from the Government. Tony McDonough reports
Sefton Council is seeking £19.2m from the Government to fund a project to revitalise Crosby town centre and help it recover from the pandemic.
It has applied for the cash from the Government’s Levelling Up fund to take forward the Reimagining Crosby scheme. It includes a new library and community facilities, a health and wellbeing hub and 30 new apartment homes.
Located on the site of the current Green Car Park and combined with the library, the health and wellbeing hub will deliver central GP services and other community health provision. Further details of the centre’s design are still to be finalised.
Alongside the library and hub the Levelling Up Fund bid also includes improved access to the town centre. The strong focus on making Crosby more pedestrian and cycle friendly is in line with the council climate emergency declaration and commitment to active travel.
This will remove barriers, enhance the ease of movement and improve access to the public spaces in and around the centre, making them more user friendly for all kinds of journeys. Improvements to town centre parking are included in the bid, with additional spaces provided, as well as electric vehicle charging points.
The proposals will support the recovery of Crosby improving access to local services, diversifying what the town can offer and encouraging people to stay for longer.
Cllr Ian Maher, Leader of Sefton Council said: “Our approach to the Levelling Up Fund has focused on bringing benefits to local people and developing opportunities for jobs, investment and recovery to parts of our borough that have been hit hard by the pandemic.
“Health, wellbeing and community are at the heart of our £19.2m Reimagining Crosby bid, which has been designed to deliver a range of benefits to people in Crosby and across our borough.”
Sefton Council is also submitting a £14.5m bid designed to kick-start nearby Bootle’s economy.