Sefton Council’s hopes for a regenerated and vibrant Crosby Town Centre have taken a major step forward after a planning application for improved parking and transport works was submitted last week.

The application seeks Outline planning permission for the development of a three-storey building on the site of the Green car park, as well as full planning permission to create a new access to Cooksland car park.

Numerous car parking spaces in the town centre will remain and the Local Authority has carried out extensive surveys to ensure demand for parking in the Town Centre will still be met.

If successful, it will allow for Phase One of the Local Authority’s plans to create the £13.8 million Crosby New Library on the site of the Green car park.

Works to the highway, which will include improved crossing facilitates and public realm works, have already began.

Community hub

The site has been previously identified in the Crosby Investment Strategy and has been the subject of a number of bids for Government funding, all with the view of creating a new library and health hub in the heart of the Village.

The Planning Application submitted last week aims to seek permission to begin related works in order to improve the access, parking provision and connectivity around the town centre, paving the way for more development and improvement works in the future.

Subject to planning approval the Council are hopeful that these works can begin in late 2023, with works relating to the full project to follow.

Car parking

Prior to these plans the Local Authority commissioned detailed parking surveys which looked at the number of available spaces and how that number may be affected by these improvements.

The Local Authority are confident that excess parking provision will still be easily available elsewhere in the town centre. This includes adaptations to be made to Cooksland and Allengate car parks which will further maximise the number of spaces available.

Crosby Library

Last month Sefton Council stated its commitment to progressing both the innovative new Crosby Village project and to the retention and refurbishment of the existing library in Waterloo.

Cllr Trish Hardy, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing, said: “While these were originally being explored as part of a single scheme, Sefton Council will now be separating the plans for the new facility in Crosby Village and for the retention of the existing library in Waterloo.

“Local community health services have given their full support to the project and the potential to co-share the new Crosby Village site, further contributing to the vitality of the village centre and health in the community.”

Cllr Hardy continued: “Although they still stock a huge number of physical books, these days Sefton’s libraries also provide a wide range of other services including free Wi-Fi, cooking classes, talking books, events, community activities and much more.

“These plans demonstrate once again that despite huge funding challenges, Sefton Council is committed to providing a quality and future proofed library service, and finding creative ways to continue to provide and enhance service provision, work with partners and to contribute to the regeneration of our town centres.

“It represents a great opportunity to create a new library facility that reflects what people want in a location that is easy for them to reach.”

Sefton Council’s Cabinet has approved the procurement of a stock condition survey for the existing library, and the Council is progressing an update to the business case for the new library and village centre, which will be presented to Cabinet in due course.