LISCARD ACTION PLAN The Liscard Action Plan is a comprehensive strategy for potential future development and changes within the Town Centre area. The Liscard 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 starting point for the Liscard Action Plan. In producing the Liscard 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 Liscard Action Plan and have informed the key issues identified. The Liscard Action Plan provides a more detailed framework for shaping the regeneration and management of the town 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 and growth of Liscard as the most important retail centre in Wallasey. Its use is therefore neither led nor limited to council officers and it should be utilised by traders, community groups and anyone else with an interest in their town centre. The vision for Liscard cannot be achieved by the Local Authority alone. New shops, restaurants, businesses and property 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 Liscard Action Plan sits alongside the Traders Toolkit (which can be viewed at (link) which provides general information to town centre businesses on a range of 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 and neighbourhood plan. It will also provide an evidence base to inform more detailed aspects of the Liscard Action Plan for Wirral, including the proposed Site Allocations DPD and a potential ‘Town Centre SPD’. The Local Area Action Plan will not be adopted as a Development Plan Document and will remain non- statutory. The diagram below demonstrates where the document will sit within the wider planning policy framework, its status and its relationship to other documents Statutory Non -Statutory Core Town Centre Strategy Strategy Town Centres Site Town Centre Town Centre SPD Allocations Action Plans Toolkit Local Plan LISCARD NOW This section presents a portrait of Liscard Centre as it functions today. In this section we identify the main elements which make up Liscard and highlight the main issues which are affecting the centre. These issues have been grouped into key themes which form the core of the Action Plan and a framework for future targeted action and interventions . Diversification and Identity Liscard Town Centre remains relatively busy, but has been subject to long term decline. The town centre’s comparison retail offer is now focussed on the ‘value’ end of the market, with many middle-market retailers moving out of the centre, although there are a large number of independent retailers remaining in the centre. The centre needs to adapt and develop in order to grow. Liscard is struggling to establish a new role. Experience elsewhere suggests that successful town centre regeneration requires a willingness to treat change as an opportunity rather than a threat. The places whose fortunes have been turned around have recognised that town centres need to compete. Liscard needs to differentiate itself from Liverpool, Birkenhead and other regional shopping- leisure centres by offering an experience that other centres cannot replicate . Uses within the Centre Retail Offer • Retail focus is still on the pedestrianised Liscard Way and Cherry Tree Shopping Centre, which has relatively low vacancies • Withdrawal of higher end retailers: chains such as Marks and Spencer, Dixons and Littlewoods were all represented at one time in Liscard • A disproportionate number of lower end ‘value’ retailers and other services • An increase in discount stores, pawnbrokers and charity shops has resulted in a more limited comparison retail offer (25% of the units surveyed in the 2011 study, rising to 28% in 2013) • The convenience retail offer is very limited (7% of the units surveyed in the 2011 study, reducing to 6% in 2013) and focused on the Asda supermarket in Seaview Road which is at the northern extremity of the main centre • Within the core area a recently opened Tesco Metro store sits alongside an Iceland and Heron frozen food stores and a small number of other convenience retailers: the centre has in recent years lost Somerfield and Netto foodstores. The RTP report revealed that Liscard’s comparison goods market share only reaches a maximum of 25% in the locality despite the large catchment population. A significant service offer (45% of units surveyed in the 2011 study, reducing slightly to 43% in 2013) especially concentrated on Wallasey Road The RTP report also indicated that Liscard/north and west Wallasey has the highest level of leakage of comparison spend to Liverpool in the Borough, likely to be due to the very good bus and rail links. Vacancy • Vacant units are interspersed throughout the centre resulting in inactive frontages. (18% of units surveyed in the 2011 study reducing to 13% in 2013). • Entire blocks are unoccupied in certain peripheral areas Leisure/Night time uses • The centre has a limited offer beyond its primary retail function. • The leisure offer is extremely limited and the evening/night time economy is similarly limited to a small number of restaurants and pubs/bars with only a few premises other than hot food takeaways opening outside of core shopping hours. • There is little activity within the town centre at night with poor lighting and little natural surveillance. • The New Brighton development has intensified competition in the evening/night time economy. Transport and accessibility Road Network • The centre is well served by public transport and is accessible. • The one-way gyratory circles Liscard Way and the Cherry Tree shopping centre but can act as a barrier to movement across the town centre, restricting the flow of traffic to the outskirts and isolating the pedestrianised area. • The good bus service to Liverpool draws shoppers away from Liscard but bus service provision overall also presents two-way opportunities to bring more people in from Wallasey, New Brighton and elsewhere into Liscard for retail or leisure journeys if the centre created this demand. Transport integration • The car parking and public transport accessibility is a benefit to Liscard that many other centres are lacking. • The routes to the centre from the car parks and the bus station area are not well defined and result in poor linkages/connectivity. • Smaller car parks are poorly lit/screened by buildings and are not attractive to use after dark Cycling facilities • The cycle path does not extend through the centre • Cycle facilities inadequate, are poorly placed and in need of improvement. Signposting • Poor sign posting does not direct first time visitors arriving by car, to the car parking or shopping areas Placemaking Sense of place/identity • The configuration of the central shopping area is lacking a sense of place and identity. Gateways • The entrance features at either end of the pedestrianised area are set back from the road and are not visible on key approaches. • The design of the entrance features does not create a strong focal point and Liscard way has become cluttered with signage and street furniture. Configuration • The design and layout of the pedestrianised Liscard Way is inward looking and lacks visual presence from the perimeter roads. • Service areas and car parking areas front key routes to and from the centre providing little animation or interest • The Cherry Tree shopping centre focuses inwards and would benefit from improved entrances from the car park and Liscard Way. • The rear servicing area conflicts with the residential amenity and can become untidy Public Realm • The overall environmental quality within the pedestrianised area is in need of enhancement and renewal in some areas • Poor quality shopfronts and the array of incoherent signage do not improve the overall appearance. • Anti-social behaviour and vandalism have been identified as problems. Connections • The pedestrian routes between the central core and its surroundings are poor. • The high street is pedestrianised and yet the pedestrian routes to and from this area are poorly defined and uninviting. • As a result the car parking areas and transport services such as the bus station do not function to their full potential as integral components of a successful centre. Events and Marketing Spaces in the high street • The pedestrianised area incorporates several ‘spaces’ that are underutilised. • The spaces are not used to their full potential and as such the centre offers little in the way of street activity and events. The introduction of a yearly programme of events would add life and vibrancy to the pedestrianised area. • There is currently no programme of events within the centre. • The centre does not offer local shopping incentives such as shop local. Liscard - Next Steps The centre is in need of significant change.