IRBY VILLAGE ACTION PLAN This Action Plan is a comprehensive strategy for potential future development and change within the Irby Village Local Centre. The Action Plan builds on the Wirral Town, District and Local Centres Study and Delivery Framework 2011 (“2011 Town Centre Study”) which is a broader strategy for the regeneration and growth of the Borough’s 23 local, district and town centres outside Birkenhead. This in turn updated the Wirral Strategy for Town Centres, Retail and Commercial Leisure produced for the Council by Roger Tym & Partners (“the RTP report”) in 2009. Detailed analysis and consultation work was undertaken in producing the 2011 Town Centre Study, including wider consultation at a strategic level (Core Strategy) and more focused consultation with key stakeholders and traders. The findings and conclusions of this work form the basis of the Irby Village Action Plan. In producing the Irby Village Action Plan, further consultation work has been undertaken with key stakeholders and traders, providing the opportunity for their input into the plan. The consultation responses and feedback have therefore been captured within the proposed Action Plan and have informed the key issues identified. The Irby Village Action Plan provides a more detailed framework for shaping the regeneration of the centre, setting out issues, objectives and potential interventions in respect of regeneration, planning, design, sustainability and transport. It articulates a shared vision for the enhancement of Irby Village as a local centre. Its use is therefore neither led nor limited to council officers and it should be utilised by traders, community groups and any one else with an interest in their town centre. It is also important to emphasise that the vision for Irby Village cannot be achieved by the Local Authority alone. New businesses will be created by entrepreneurs and investors, not the public sector. Community and voluntary effort will have an important role to play in championing the vision and devising and delivering events and other initiatives in the town centre. The Irby Village Action Plan sits alongside the Traders Toolkit (which can be viewed at (link)) which provides general information to town centre businesses about issues such as planning and licensing. The Action Plan is related to and should be read in parallel with a number of other strategic planning documents, including the Wirral Unitary Development Plan and the emerging Core Strategy. The Action Plans will also provide an evidence base to inform more detailed aspects of the Local Plan for Wirral, including the proposed Site Allocations DPD and a potential ‘Town Centre SPD’. It will not be adopted as a Development Plan Document and will remain non-statutory, but will be used to shape the future of the area. Statutory Non -Statutory Core Town Centre Strategy Strategy Town Centres Site Town Centre Town Centre SPD Allocations Action Plans Toolkit Local Plan IRBY VILLAGE NOW Diversification and Identity Irby Village is an established local centre on Thingwall Road in west Wirral, with a large residential catchment area within its immediate surroundings. The centre comprises two main frontages either side of the Mill Hill Road junction: the main retail uses are concentrated on both sides of Thingwall road to the east of Mill Hill Road, including a lay by with parking along the northern side. There is a small public car park on the corner of Roslin Road and Thingwall Rd. West of Mill Hill Road is a greater mix of uses. Irby library is a prominent feature at the Thingwall Road/Thurstaston Road junction. Uses within the Centre A small number of vacant units are pepper potted throughout the centre. The 2011 Town Centre Study noted that the percentage of vacant units (5%) was less than half the study average of 12%, while the percentage of convenience units matched the study average of 10%, comparison provision was 17% (2% below the average) and service provision at 56% was above the study average of 50%. A re-survey undertaken in March 2013 shows an increase in the percentage of vacant units to 8%, a reduction in convenience provision to 5%, comparison provision unchanged at 17%, and service uses falling to 47%. The limited convenience offer is focused on the McColls convenience store. There is a limited comparison offer – predominantly service oriented uses. The former medical group practice and dentist (moved to Roslin Rd) is now occupied by office uses. There is no bank or free cash machine in Irby and this has been identified as a concern by traders. There is a challenge to sustain and diversify the retail offer. Two recent attempts to introduce ‘specialist’ shops – Italian butchers/delicatessen and Vita Cycles - were relatively short-lived. There is some residential flatted development on former garage site at the eastern end of the centre plus flats on corner of Mill Hill Rd and Thingwall Rd. There have been no residential conversions of shop units to date. In terms of the food and drink offer, Da Piero is listed in the Good Food Guide and Michelin Guide as one of the top restaurants in Wirral and it was recently extended. There are also some hot food takeaways and restaurants/café, including the Shippons pub on Thingwall Rd and the Anchor Pub on Thurstaston Rd. The library is an important community facility and has an active Friends Group with over 300 members and a web site. Irby Village Hall is located some 200 m to the east of the centre – it is privately owned but is hired out for a range of events and functions Transport and accessibility The centre is well served by public transport, with a number of bus services serving the centre, although the two bus stops are at either end of the centre. The principal commercial bus service through Irby provides good quality all day two-way links from Arrowe Park, Heswall and Birkenhead/Liverpool; local bus access to neighbouring residential areas is more limited – service 175 serves the local residential areas. These services could be exploited for attracting inward retail or leisure journeys to Irby if the centre created this demand. A large residential community borders the centre with a large walk-in catchment. There are however, no footways on the one way section of Mill Hill Road, which could deter some pedestrian access from residential area to the north. The main off-street car park is on the corner of Roslin Road and Thingwall Road a short walk from the eastern end of the centre. This is free of charge, operated by the Council. There appears to be some evidence of use by commuters. There is also on street parking on the south side of Thingwall Road in the centre, and in the lay by/parking bay on the north side although there is some concern that some spaces are occupied by traders. There are cycle parking stands on the pavement next to the lay-by on Thingwall Road. Cycle access from the residential area to the north is impacted by the constraints of Mill Hill Lane. Placemaking The public realm within the centre is of reasonable quality. The footways comprise of block paving rather than tarmac and are in relatively good condition, with only a small number of tarmac repairs. There are some street trees by the lay-by on Thingwall Road which provide greening and space around the library provides the main area of open space for the centre. There is some uncertainty over future use of the now-closed public toilets next to the library. There are some blank frontages during the day resulting from service and hot food uses and the canopy within the northern extent of the centre is in need of maintenance. Events and Marketing There is no signage on entering the centre that provides any real sense of identity. The area has support from ITPAS (Irby, Thingwall, Pensby Amenity Society) and The Friends of Irby Library, but there are currently no active local initiatives to promote the shops in the centre or individual businesses. There is scope for example to capitalise on the throughput of ramblers arriving by bus to go walking on Thurstaston Common/Wirral Country Park. Irby Village – Next steps The centre does not need significant change and is a successful small centre. It does however need to re-establish its role as an important local centre, meeting the needs of the local community, attracting and retaining the local residents as a customer base . IRBY VILLAGE - LOOKING FORWARD Vision By 2018 Irby Village will be a sustainable, safe, thriving local centre, providing a range of services appropriate to its role and serving the needs of the local community. An improved high street and an enhanced comparison offer will create a vital and vibrant centre with an enjoyable shopping experience. This section sets out actions and interventions to achieve this vision. There are opportunities to improve the identity of the centre and to introduce an improved offer, attract new retailers and users to the town and secure its sustainable future. Diversity and Identity It is proposed that the existing boundary to the centre is redefined to exclude a new block of flats at the eastern end of the centre and include some additional commercial uses. The table below summarises the analysis undertaken as part of the Town Centre Study and further work for the Action Plan. It identifies the key issues, objectives and potential intervention to help the centre. GOALS/ WHAT WE COULD ACHIEVE TOGETHER.. HOW WE COULD ACHIEVE AIMS IT… Making Irby Maintaining a nucleus of retail and service Village a uses to serve the needs of the local Encourage temporary or pop-up sustainable community uses for empty units within the local centre centre A more vibrant high street Promote the toolkit to help the A retail offer that is able to attract and retain Traders Group and individual customers all year round and resist loss to businesses to be more proactive other areas in identifying and meeting the needs of town centre users.