THE next stages of a massive project set to regenerate a Wirral high street were revealed this week.

The Beacon Arts Village, in Hoylake, is to host three premium food and drink outlets when it is completed towards the end of this year.

Lucky Penny Consultants, the firm behind the food and drink offering, said the arts village being built on the site of the former Hoylake Town Hall, will host a restaurant, a bar and a cafe bistro.

Steven Burgess, from Lucky Penny Consultants, said: "Hoylake is a hidden gem, a town with so much potential, and we are determined to deliver something very special with real quality that will help lift the high street.

"We are delighted to be part of the vision for The Beacon which has the potential to be transformational for Hoylake and indeed West Wirral for generations to come.

"This is so much more than a commercial project because it is a community driven scheme with real purpose and the passion of those involved really shines through, which we love."

Lucky Penny wants the restaurant to be a unique offering in West Wirral, attracting visitors from far and wide.

The atrium café will be designed to appeal to different generations, while the bar hopes to create a quirky, independent pub vibe.

The Beacon project also includes a two-screen cinema, as well as 18 creative studio and retail spaces for artists and makers, which started at the end of last year.

It follows the successful application for £3.6m of grant funding from the government's Coastal Community Fund, which is designed to help seaside towns flourish.

The project is being run by Hylgar Properties, alongside community interest company Hoylake Village Life.

A later phase of the project will see 40 apartments added to the upper floors of the site. A date for this phase has not yet been confirmed.

Tony Cox, a Conservative councillor for Hoylake and Meols, said: "This is an ambitious project, which will increase footfall within Hoylake.

"But I don't think it will increase footfall to the levels that the management and developers expect.

"It will provide a different offering, which will hopefully keep a lot of the dining and night time economy in Hoylake, rather than people going into the city of Liverpool.

"I do welcome the investment, the old town hall would have gone to wreck and ruin otherwise.

"I do have a problem with the phase which will see 40 apartments built with no parking.

"People will have cars, whatever the developers say.

"But on top of the coastal communities grant, this scheme has benefited from another £37,000 through the Coastal Revival Fund.

"This means giving a taxpayer-funded cheque to Lucky Penny to carry out a feasibility study to find out if the plans are viable.

"That is inherently unfair and anti-competitive.

"Other people who have built up their own businesses with their own money don’t benefit from this funding.

"It might end up damaging local shops and dining facilities, rather than enhancing them."

While he did comment on the Coastal Revival Fund directly, Mark Howard, a volunteer for Hoylake Village Life, felt the project was value for taxpayers’ money.

He said: "This fund [Coastal Community Fund] has been awarded to support the development phase of the project, including feasibility work, which will ensure that an amazing venue is delivered for Hoylake with multiple employment opportunities – the key driver for the fund itself.

"Hoylake Village Life has repeatedly demonstrated to both the government and the council the excellent value for money they are receiving."

He added how great he felt this plan will be for the area.

"This is nothing but positive news for the area and the benefits of the project will spread throughout and beyond the town for many years to come.

"It has been clear from our comprehensive consultations from the start that people feel this is exactly the kind of development Hoylake needs.

"Ten years ago, Hoylake was the lowest performing Wirral town centre in the UK retail rankings, evidence there is a need to re-imagine Hoylake’s offer and appeal by incorporating sustainable redevelopment.

"This project is an exemplar of that.

"While Hoylake is well known for its creative community and for great initiatives ongoing regeneration is vital.

"The Hoylake catchment area is not enough to sustain the high street on its own, so The Beacon will provide the town with the strong destination offer it needs."

Wirral Council's cabinet member for regeneration, Labour councillor Tony Jones, said: "I'm pleased to see this project moving forward.

"Supporting our town centres is really important for us as a council and it’s great to see this moving forward."

A spokesperson for Wirral Council said: "Detailed examination of this application was carried out after a resident raised concerns about the grant from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).

"This has now concluded, supported by MHCLG, that all reasonable steps have been – and continue to be – taken to ensure the grant is used appropriately and in line with the criteria for the funding."