NEW FERRY and Liscard have been put forward to receive up to £1m investment from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority's Town Centre Fund.

At a meeting on Friday, July 26, the Combined Authority will be asked to approve up to £6m - up to £1m in each of its six local authorities - to support the regeneration of town centres.

After agreeing to commission the £6m in October 2018 since then the local authorities have been working up high-level investment programmes.

This includes masterplan strategies, public realm improvements, physical and digital infrastructure, business support, town centre management plus events and marketing activities.

Wirral Council put forward New Ferry and Liscard to receive a slice of the Town Centre Fund.

Leader of Wirral Council Councillor Pat Hackett said: “Boosting Wirral’s town centres is a key ambition of this administration and the funding from the Combined Authority is an extremely welcome addition to the work and investment the Council is already putting in place.

“New Ferry, as many will know, faced even more obstacles as a result of the explosion there in 2017 and the Council is working closely with the local community to get the town centre back on its feet, while Liscard should be thriving so much more than it is.

"This funding will help us develop a bid to the government’s Future High Streets Fund and in the short-term help rejuvenate the town centre by, for example, bringing vacant premises back into use.”

The Council hopes to use the fund to "re-establish" Liscard as a thriving town centre by commissioning an integrated masterplan to identify and support delivery of a more extensive bid to the Future High Streets Fund.

For New Ferry, plans include the establishment of a Community Land Trust (CLT) as well as environmental improvements - such as introducing planters, public art and hanging baskets.

The cash would also go towards finding a suitable premises for the CLT to work from.

Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram said: “Our high streets were once the beating heart of our communities.

"But with the rise of new technologies and changing customer habits – they face a stark choice: modernisation or further decline.

“That is why we have introduced this £6 million fund – to reimagine and reshape what our town centres look like in the 21st century.

"By working with our local authorities we can take action to ensure they thrive over the next 20 years.

“We must ensure that every part of our region prospers – and that is why we’ve ensured each borough receives exactly the same amount from this fund."