Kirkby travel hub to progress thanks to £2m cash injection

The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority is to approve a £2.2m investment to redevelop a multistorey car park on Norwich Way next to the former Barclaycard building. 

The investment is the final instalment of the combined authority’s £15m contribution to the rejuvenation of Kirkby town centre. 

Plans for the travel hub, located on a key gateway site, include long-stay parking, electric vehicle charging, and cycle storage.  

The project aims to “increase the chances of attracting a new tenant to the former Barclaycard building”, according to the combined authority. Barclaycard relocated to Wavertree in 2021. 

“The Kirkby gateway site is many people’s first impression of the town so it’s essential that we create the right image for residents, visitors, businesses and investors alike,” said Cllr Tony Brennan, Knowsley Council’s cabinet member for regeneration and economic development. 

The creation of a travel hub in Kirkby is the latest element of a wider regeneration strategy that was sparked by Knowsley Council’s £33.8m acquisition of town centre land and buildings from St Modwen. 

An initial £10m investment by the combined authority supported the council in its creation of a 45,000 sq ft Morrisons superstore, a petrol station, car park, a 20,000 sq ft Home Bargains and Taco Bell and KFC drive-thru restaurants. 

The combined authority then approved a further allocation of £2.8m to support the development of a six-screen Reel cinema off Cherryfield Drive. 

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: “Thanks to devolution, we’ve been able to invest in places like Kirkby. From the transformation of the town centre to the opening of its first supermarket in nearly 40 years, we’re making things happen.”