First phase of £19m Skelmersdale town centre comes forward

Developer St Modwen has put in the first planning application on its multi-phase regeneration of Skelmersdale town centre, a 13,700 sq ft retail store due to be operated by Lidl.

This summer, St Modwen, Homes England, and West Lancashire Borough Council agreed a funding deal to deliver the £19m first phase of the regeneration of Skelmersdale, and St Modwen has now put in its first application for the site.

Lidl is one of the anchor tenants for the regeneration alongside B&M, which is to build a 20,000 sq ft unit; in total, there will be 50,000 sq ft of retail space in the first phase.

Meanwhile, the second phase is set to feature around 50,000 sq ft of leisure and restaurants, including a cinema due to be operated by Reel.

Elsewhere, this will also be improvements to public realm in the town centre, including a new pedestrian link between the college and the existing Concourse shopping centre, alongside enhancements to public realm near the Nye Bevan Pool and the town’s library.

Once delivered, the council said around £8m additional customer spend would be brought to Skelmersdale each year, with an estimated 70 permanent jobs and 240 construction jobs created.

Paul Batho, development director at St Modwen, said: “Lidl will play a major part in the successful redevelopment of Skelmersdale town centre. This is the start of a long-anticipated regeneration programme and we are pleased to be bringing this national retailer to town.”