Tawd Valley’s £164m Skelmersdale regeneration approved
West Lancashire Council has rubber-stamped the updated business case for the 75-acre transformation project, including the 89-home first phase.
Tawd Valley Developments is the master developer and project manager for the £164m Skelmersdale project, which was formally approved in April 2025 and is expected to significantly boost the town’s economic output.
Lambert Smith Hampton and Tetra Tech have drawn up the masterplan with help from Hive Land and Planning.
Several key schemes will benefit from the ratification of the business plan.
- Proposals for Grimrod Place seek to construct eight business units for long-term commercial lease.
- At Yewdale, the masterplan’s first swathe of 25 social rent homes is being delivered.
- The Derby Street Civic Centre redevelopment is to proceed, comprising the demolition of the existing council offices and the construction of two apartment buildings containing 64 homes.
The wider plan includes the delivery of a railway station, replacing the one that closed in 1956, and the development of 600 homes and 28,000 sq ft of commercial space.
Up to 680 homes and 59 business units, improvements to public open spaces within the town centre, and the creation of a solar farm are proposed under the scheme.
Part of the masterplan includes improving links between residential areas and the town centre. Credit: via Merrion Strategy
Cllr Gareth Downing, deputy Leader of the council and lead member of planning and community safety at West Lancashire Council, said: “We are pleased to approve this forward-looking business plan, which will bring real benefits to the people in this borough.
“Tawd Valley Developments continues to be a vital partner who will be building more high-quality homes that local families can afford, creating jobs through partnerships with local suppliers and trades, and investing in greener infrastructure that makes our communities more resilient.
“Whether you’re a resident looking for a better place to live or a business hoping to grow locally, this plan is about making West Lancashire a better place to live, work, and thrive.”
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Cllr Nicola Pryce-Roberts, lead member for housing at West Lancashire Council, added: “This business plan represents a responsible approach to meeting local housing needs.
“It supports the delivery of well-designed, energy-efficient homes that reflect the needs of our communities, from affordable rent to quality new builds.
“We’re focused on ensuring that every development contributes positively to the borough, both socially and economically.”
Positive , but the long awaited rail link into Liverpool would make even a bigger impact
By George
Great news for Skelmersdale. Long overdue. Don’t let them wait too long for that much needed railway connection to Liverpool & Wigan.
By Stephen Hart
The wider plan includes:
• the delivery of a railway station.
• the development of 600 homes.
•28,000 sq ft of commercial space.
Two of those things will definitely happen. Why is the other still even being mentioned?
By Anonymous
Where will WLDC Headquarters be? Whilst I am in favour of Skem improvements, it does seem that you are “downgrading” Ormskirk.
By Lynn
Where is the new hospital going to be? What amount is being put aside to repair/ replace roads which are all most at gridlock with the amount of development already in the surrounding area.
By Anonymous
Ormskirk town centre is dead thanks to previous planners.so now we can look forward to the next area that in a few years time we will be asked to submit ideas on how to revive i
By Anonymous
Needs to be connected to the rail network, if the Wigan line is dead consider re-opening via Ormskirk most of the track bed is still in place
By Anon
The people of Skem don’t want or need all these new houses. They’re all far too expensive for existing residents of the town so do nothing to improve our quality of life. The council have failed us again as their planned leisure facilities pale in comparison to what we had before the sports centre was taken away and Glenburn would have been the ideal place for a new one but instead, they want to build at small one at the back of Lidl on a small patch of land with a very small number of parking spaces compared the larger facility they plan on building in Ormskirk.
As for the train station, all they needed to do was extend the platforms at Upholland and build a car park, taxi rank, and bus stops on Pimbo. The council already runs a bus to Kirkby so this scheme would have saved them money and reintroduced a bus to Pimbo which would have boosted mobility for job seekers who may not drive.
By Rik
If you can get Skem to look that lively, then i will move there! Shiipd do an expectations vs reality shot IF this does actually happen.
By Anonymous
Train station alone will cost over 100m so your plan is thrown out the water
By Anonymous
Why do they keep going on about a rail link? Its never going to happen because the costs are too high. The last time the WLBC used it as a sweetener to close Glenburn High School the estimated building costs were £263 million. Its safe to say the actual costs will be closer to 500 million so that will never happen. They should improve Upholland station and reinstate the bus service to it. But that will need a significant improvement on the last time they did that. Plus more frequent services to Kirkby and Wigan.
By Anonymous
Rik, when you say the people of Skem don’t want all these houses, have you spoken to every resident and did all of them say no to the houses? I’m intrigued to know your method of consultation which means you can speak for everyone.
By Anonymous
Skem definitely does need all this investment, houses, commercial space and infrastructure. Who would want to live there otherwise?
By Savvy
This is ridiculous, there are enough houses here already being built, the people who already live here need more facilities, the train station will never happen. I have lived here 55 years and it’s been promised umpteen times and never happened. We have plenty of business units standing empty and dilapidated. Why throw good money after bad.
By Elizabeth
No more houses!! No infrastructure to support this ridiculous idea, plus the flooding causes absolute chaos already. People still wasting money drawing up plans for a railway station that will probably never happen I see
By Jo
And what about more doctor surgery’s and dental surgery to compensate for the extra 600 homes? We already cant get a docs app or even get on the dentists books
By Darren grimes
the council spending good money on consultation after consultation, the reality is; an Investment has to be considered from the financial growth possibilities, this proposal is nothing to do with bettering the lives of residents; so why claim it is? the profitability of Any scheme is measured over the following 20 years (the rent and rates amassed by the new premises), the whole scheme is a proposal about; how to pay for the building of a train station…. oh, and a new council office in Ormskirk…. i could be totally wrong of course, either way; the councillors that aren’t financially invested in the project will probably be gone before the next major scheme is debated.
By Allan
Not many ormskirk people left. Ruined along with town centre. Party weekend for non loxals.
By Peas with egg