Liscard Together

Town centre partnership

Welcome

It is so inspiring to chair such a proactive and ambitious town centre partnership. I have been deeply impressed by the dedication of all those involved, the time that each representative gives on a voluntary basis and their focus on improving Liscard town centre together.

This is an exciting time for Liscard and an opportunity to build rapidly on the great partnership work achieved so far and I look forward to meeting more local communities and business representatives to get involved in helping to tackle the challenges the town centre faces and develop solutions to make Liscard a better town centre during the day and evening.

If Businesses or local community groups/residents want to get involved with Liscard Together Partnership to make a positive difference to Liscard Town Centre please email: gordon.smith@cherrytreecentre.co.uk

The Partnership

It has been widely recognised that over a number of years that Liscard had not fulfilled its potential.

In 2022 the High Streets Task Force provided support to Liscard and recommended establishing a town partnership to drive change within Liscard town centre. Following this, Wirral Council sought to bring together the town’s key stakeholders at a workshop on 28th February 2023 to explore the appetite for forming a town centre partnership.

This workshop was the starting point to the establishment of a new town centre regeneration process and town centre partnership for Liscard, beginning to coalesce thinking around an improved future for Liscard and an initial ‘road map’ highlighting the key actions required to turn things around.

Since then, local traders, businesses and residents have come together with Wirral Council, Community and Voluntary Sector groups and organisations, Wirral Chamber of Commerce, Magenta Living, Merseyside Police, Wirral Metropolitan College and other stakeholders to create a new Partnership for change, called Liscard Together.

The Liscard Together Mission is to:

Work together to create a welcoming inclusive Liscard town centre that is vibrant, safe and greener. It inspires people and businesses to flourish and unlocks the potential of Liscard for all.

Liscard Together Partnership brings together the town’s key stakeholders in a single partnership to tackle the issues that the town centre faces, focused on revitalising and making the town centre a better place for everyone.

The key aim of the Partnership is to encourage all Liscard businesses, organisations and residents to get involved and work together for the common good of the town and deliver the towns vision.

Vision for Liscard town Centre is that it is more diverse, more people-focused, more social and more attractive

Our Town

Much to be proud of

The Partnership was keen to recognise that the town has many things going for it and its many unique selling points (USP) to build on, going forward.

Gaps in our offer

However, there are gaps in the offer and it wasidentified that the town has a low value retail offer,limited evening economy and very little for young orolder people to do in the town.

More needs to be done

Through the new structure established; thePartnership has developed some actions for change.

in action

Liscard Together as a new town partnership is committed to making Liscard a bustling and vibrant place for all, coming together to promote and market Liscard, to run events and make it a welcoming, safer and greener town and expanding what Liscard has to offer. We are passionate to make Liscard a first-choice destination in its own right. The structure of the Partnership is outlined below:

WHat's On

Events

News

Summer Event

On the 13th July, we held our Liscard Summer Festival. It was a fantastic day and you can see all our photos below.

Partnership Launched

We were delighted to launch the partnership in early June. We had a fantastic day, with contributions from the whole community and a fantastic choir performance. We can’t wait to do more!

THE BOARD

The Partnership has a strategic Board and focuses on the key themes of Business, People and Place.

The Board is supported by three dedicated delivery and action focused groups to deliver on those key themes.

Liscard Together Partnership is an action focussed Board, giving coordinated and oversight of activity and providing businesses and communities with a stronger voice on town centre issues.

Together with Wirral Council, the Board is made up of volunteer representatives with an interest in driving the success of Liscard town centre.

THE BOARD’S OVERALL STRATEGIC REMIT AND PURPOSE:

To coordinate the delivery of the Partnership’s action plan and work of the relevant delivery groups
To deliver a step change in the economic vitality and viability of the town
To identify and enable delivery of key strategic projects
To inform the Liscard Levelling Up Fund Programme

the partnership delivery groups

Business

Focused on supporting activity/events in the town to increase footfall, developing a good offer and creating the right environment to support existing businesses to flourish and attract new businesses/independents to the town.

KEY OBJECTIVES

To develop and enhance the town centre business offer through promotional information and sharing activities
To encourage local businesses to proactively develop and engage in events and activities to increase footfall, dwell time and spend
To identify access to employment, upskilling and business support opportunities, working with key partners to deliver targeted help

ACTIONS

Promote business and retail led initiatives to improve the town centre
Create events to showcase different work and business sectors, aligning with the exciting programme of activity at the Cherry Tree Centre
Promote Business Support Services to existing traders and new businesses, supporting start-ups and business growth
Create a Business Ambassadors Programme to communicate effectively with all business and promote the town centre more proactively and positively
Arrange annual Business Awards involving the community in voting for their most deserving business in the town centre
Work with the Police to make the town centre safer for local business and visitors

People

Working with the community to activate the town and develop a high-quality year-round programme of events including improving the arts, crafts, culture and music offer. It is also working to create an attractive, clean, safe and greener town centre.

KEY OBJECTIVES

To create a programme of events and activities that attracts more people of all ages into the town
To work with community stakeholders and organisations to develop community initiatives and to facilitate volunteering opportunities that will help to make the town cleaner and greener and to encourage people to stay for longer
To involve young people in different community initiatives and projects for the town centre
To encourage pop-up uses in vacant units and public spaces for health and wellbeing, arts and culture and skills development activities

ACTIONS

Improve the visual appearance of the town centre through improvements and the introduction of trees and planting making the town centre greener, with planters and bulb planting, recruiting more volunteers to help with the planting and/or the maintenance of the planters and supporting community led initiatives such as Liscard in Bloom
Arranging regular litter picks/clean up initiatives in Liscard town centre involving volunteers from community/businesses and schools. Creating strong links to the education sector and the town centre
Work with others to introduce regular and innovative street animation
Delivery of programmed events involving the community and businesses, for the year that includes a Summer Arts and Music Festival, Town Centre Trails and Christmas Lights Switch On/entertainment
Encouraging the delivery of a safe and family friendly town centre. Tackling ASB and working with multiagencies/ partners/voluntary sector to provide diversionary activities for young people in the town

Place

Working to improve the physical appearance, improving the public realm and providing an accessible town centre. It is working with landlords to tackle empty units and helping them to be brought back into use.

KEY OBJECTIVES

Work with owners, either through cooperation/incentives or enforcement action, to improve the visual appearance of buildings in the town centre
Reduce the vacancy rate of units in the town centre so that it is, and remains, lower than the UK average
Improve the visual appearance of the town centre through small-scale streetscene improvements and ensuring good environmental maintenance
Work with providers to improve car parking arrangements; and reduce nuisance parking on the highway

ACTIONS

Ensure that street furniture (and streetscape in general) in the town centre is consistent, appropriately located, properly utilised and well maintained
Ensure that Liscard is kept clean and that greenery is subject to a regular maintenance regime
Use incentives and/or enforcement measures to reduce the number of vacant properties and address properties in poor condition
Work with providers to improve car parking arrangements

We as a Partnership are eager, with your help, to restore the pride in the town centre, build wider ownership and create a real sense of identity that local people can relate to.

Liscard is a town centre primarily for local people. Quite simply, the more that local people choose to shop, eat, drink and spend time in Liscard Town Centre, then the more successful it will become.

Everyone, therefore, has a part to play in achieving the vision for Liscard. Together we can make change happen, be part of the change!