Street revamp to begin soon

The £126,000 scheme for Poulton Street is to include ‘aged look’ block-paving and new street furniture for the Town End area from Clegg Street to Orders Lane and, on the other side, to Morrisons’ Mill Lane entrance.

The Fylde Council project will also include new bollards to prevent vehicles mounting the pavement and a different block-paving for forecourts.

The scheme, part-funded by Kirkham Town Council and Whitehall’s High Street Innovation Fund, includes Lancashire County Council-funded improvements to traffic signals at Town End.

A total of £277,000 has previously been spent in the last three years on improving other sections of Poulton Street and Kirkham councillor Liz Oades: “This is very welcome news indeed.

“It will make a big difference to the town centre.”

Coun Trevor Fiddler, chairman of Fylde Council’s Development Management and Policy Committee, said: “This work will give a consistent and appealing look to the centre of Kirkham.

“The entire scheme so far has possibly been one of the largest improvement projects that Kirkham has even seen.

“It will benefit businesses, jobs and generations of Kirkham residents. It has taken many years to get the money together. Kirkham is an important market town and this scheme should continue its appeal to shoppers for many years to come.”

Of the total being spent on the scheme, £35,000 has come from Whitehall’s High Street Innovation Fund – commonly referred to locally as the ‘Mary Portas money’.

It is hoped to start work on the final stage of the Poulton Street improvements – from Birley Street to Market Square – some time next year.