Many thanks to those of you who have been in touch to alert me to the rather wordy but interesting Wirral Council Core Strategy Report (available here, opens in new window). The report covers the whole Wirral and refers to Hoylake in several sections.
Here are some of the paragraphs that I’ve copied from the report (my own headings)
Lowest Ranking Town Centre
Hoylake is Wirral’s lowest-ranking Key Town Centre in the UK retail rankings, and we have identified evidence of ongoing decline. Hoylake has a limited and contracting comparison retail sector, with particularly poor representation from clothing retailers.
The centre is also characterised by a very high vacancy rate, low footfall, limited operator demand, and a poor physical environment in parts. Although the centre has a more thriving service sector (based around pubs and wine bars), local stakeholders raised concerns about the anti-social behaviour that is currently associated with this activity.
Hoylake Is Linear
In summary, Hoylake is a long, linear centre interspersed with vacant units, which no longer performs a true ‘town centre’ role, and we consider that it would benefit from consolidation and intensification across a more appropriate physical area, although we acknowledge that in practice achieving this will be challenging.
We also suggest that the centre would benefit from access to better local bus connections, further measures to reduce anti-social behaviour (particularly at night), and continued investment in the physical environment (particularly towards the northern end of Market Street).
Signs Of Weakness
Nine of the Borough’s centres – including Birkenhead and Liscard Town Centres – are exhibiting some signs of weakness. A further four centres, including Hoylake Town Centre, are showing more significant signs of weakness or decline.
Hoylake Not Town Centre
For instance, we consider that Hoylake and New Ferry no longer justify ‘town centre’ status, and taking account of the various evidence collated through this study we do not see any prospect of these centres expanding their roles in the future. It is therefore more appropriate to reclassify them in the hierarchy and ensure that the level of development
Food and Drink
Promoting further high-quality food and drink uses in Hoylake, in particular, could be a good way of dealing with the high level of unit vacancy in the centre, although local stakeholders assert that the reported
antisocial behaviour problem in the centre is associated with food and drink facilities and so enhanced security measures would need to be implemented in parallel with any expansion of Hoylake’s evening entertainment role.
Recent Investment
Hoylake has benefited from recent investment in its streetscape and public realm, focused primarily around the northern end of Market Street. The environmental improvement works have included new paving, street lamps, street furniture, signage and tree-planting.
However, local stakeholders have commented that the maintenance of buildings needs to be improved, and we noted that the large number of vacant units and other non-descript buildings in Hoylake detracts substantially from the character of the centre.
This problem is particularly acute towards the southern end of Market Street/Birkenhead Road. The frequent usage of security shutters in some areas of the centre also undermines the quality of the streetscape. We therefore recommend that similar improvements should be made to the other parts of the centre, and that buildings should be better maintained.
Have Your Say
So, what do you think to those sections I’ve highlighted?
- How do you feel about Hoylake being downgraded to a District Centre?
- How can Hoylake change it’s physical layout whilst keeping a significant main road running through it?
- Would Hoylake be improved by a town/village square area?
- Did you discuss these issues and more at last weeks Hoylake Village Life organised meeting (I was unable to attend) ?
- Will the news of the Hoylake 2014 Open Golf help Hoylake? The Womens event is being held in 2012 too.
- Please do leave your comments below.
More formally, you have until 5pm on 5th March 2010 to submit your comments to the Wirral Council either online or in writing. Any feedback received will be published in a public report and considered by the Council as part of the next steps in developing the Core Strategy.
Seeing the report and reading about the decline of retail and type of buisneses in the town, talking about linear development, and lack of investment. This sounds just like a description of downtown Windsor Ontario.
Over the past thirty years a busy downton area has deterorated into tshirtshops,
bars and strip clubs aimed a Americans from Michgan, our drinking age is nineteen, theirs is twenty one.The only bright spot was Casino Windsor until 9-11. Before that it was the most profitable casino in North America.
Since the Americans became so paranoid, even their own citizens need a past port to get home from Canada. In the pre 9-11 days you could go back and forth with a drivers licence.
The real reason for the death of the buisness district was lack of retail. No major chain retailors (built in the mall) lack of parking, lack of selection.
this seems to be thecommon thread to town and city centers, mobiliy of the masses, and not public transit.
I hope Hoylake fares better the pictures and history make it sound like a very nice place to live.
Having more food and drink outlets in Hoylake seems daft to me as we are falling over ourselves with cafes, restaurants, pubs and clubs. Why not try to attract clothing stores? We are short of those.
As far as Wirral Council is concerned they have now publicly admitted its failure to manage what was once a beautiful self contained village. The time has come for the people of Hoylake to demand that HUDC be resurrected with all of the powers and rights that implies and be left alone to clean up and grow the village.
Like pennyWatson I do wonder at the point of encouraging more food/drink outlets in Hoylake. Especially as the ones already here appear to be struggling or about to give up the struggle unless permitted to open 24/7.
However I believe that the time has now passed for re-invigorating Market Street as a retail experience along traditional lines and therefore don’t think encouraging clothing stores is the solution. Shopping, as an activity, has changed and we need to completely re-think the role of high streets in what are no longer deemed to be town centres. It might be appropriate to think about what could be an appropriate niche market for Hoylake and then focus on developing the retail experience along those lines – how about antiques? or specialist foods? or a nautical theme? I understand that this approach has been successful in some of the Scots Border towns.
I appreciate that some residents of the area might object to the potential ‘disney-fication’ of their town but how many of use live in Hoylake but only shop there in an emergency? I know I do – with good reason. I might live in Hoylake but I spend most of the day at work in Liverpool.
There is provision under current legislation to establish town councils in Metroplitan Counties so it could be done. See http://www.nalc.gov.uk/Toolkits/Create_a_Council/Create_a_council.aspx for link to a document telling you how to do it. The Town Council can manage a surprisingly wide range of functions including open spaces, community centres, etc which are key issues for Hoylake.
Janet is right, Hoylake as a shopping centre was designed for a different era and needs a total re-invention in the age of the motor car and weekly big shops at the supermarket.
Obviously, it needs local top-up shops but beyond that it is hindered by its small population and its geographic position (sand on 2 sides!) and proximity of neighbouring towns giving it no captive catchment area to draw upon. People will only travel there if there is something special. A top-end supermarket such as Waitrose would act as a draw for example but Home Bargains and the Co-op will not! Therefore, Hoylake has to offer something unique.
I now live in Edinburgh and often drive out to the Border towns, mentioned by Janet, or to Fife or East Lothian for a stroll, visiting an abbey, etc and I then want a high quality traditional teashop to visit and I will often use e.g. the local butchers to stock up on local meat and game or browse local craft shops and galleries.
Kircudbright which is very small and very remote has turned itself into an artist’s town with lots of galleries. Galleries, teashops and somewhere for a seaside stroll make an excellent combination. Pitenweem in east Fife is similar and has an annual arts festival too. St Andrews of course has the university and golf and unlike Hoylake golf is big business with umpteen hotels, golf shops, eateries, etc catering for affluent visitors.
Hoylake seems to have something of an artist’s colony but not a decent teashop to my knowledge and has nothing to attract visiting golfers to spend their cash.
Hoylake could potentially offer a foody destination up to a point – there are local market gardens, dairy farms and some local fish and shrimps could be a speciaity. Everyone knows about Parkgate for shrimps and ice cream for example so why not Hoylake?
People will also travel for a real pub with a wide selection of real ales and great pub lunches especially in an attractive beer garden. The Green Lodge is a lost opportunity – last time I went there the reheated food was still cold in the middle and the interior was ghastly chain-pub mediocrity, ok for a neighborhood local perhaps but not as a ‘destination’. When I lived in London I’d frequently go to Sussex for a pub lunch because the whole experience was about quality – environment, food, beer and local hospitality.
Not sure about antique shops as a focus but, if good, they would complement art galleries well. Hoylake was full of them in the 70s but too many were glorified junk or bric-a-brac shops! Anyway, there has been a strong trend to furnishing homes in a more contemporary style of late.
One last thing, shops should not be allowed to use shutters, Market St looks like a run-down inner city precinct after 5pm. In my part of Edinburgh at least they are quite rightly banned.
That’s enough for now…!
The shutters arrived with the night time economy as a precaution against the many broken shop windows at week ends sadly. I agree they look awful but understand the owners concerns as Insurance is at a premium.
Yes, we have that problem in my part of Edinburgh too mostly in the early hours as people walk through on their way from ‘partying’ in the centre to the outlying areas. I think businesses consider the cost of a new window occasionally to be worth it as window displays are their best advertisement. What a sad situation that people can’t just behave themselves……
downgrading Hoylake to a District Center would do nothing to help its regeneration. I think a town square is a good idea. Possible where The Row is. A local produce market would also help as people get quickly into the habit of regularly visiting a market. Improving the bus services in Hoylake would go a long way to bringing more people here.
Thanks John for this summary, really useful.
I am a member of the community group you refer to, Hoylake Village Life, and we were formed from a concern about the number of empty shops in Hoylake. We have since looked more broadly to explore how Hoylake could be regenerated and are asking the local community to share their views and ideas (www.hoylakevillage.org.uk).
I have to say, we are particularly concerned about the downgrading of Hoylake from a Town to a District Centre. In short this would mean that proposals for main town centre uses would be discouraged away from Hoylake to the proposed Sub-Regional Centre, Birkenhead, and proposed Town Centres, Liscard, Heswall, West Kirby and Moreton. This would inevitably, and intentionally, have an impact on the long term development of Hoylake, by restricting the type and scale of business by a criteria defined by the Local Planning Authority. Proposals for new developments in Hoylake would be considered against their potential impact on the centres of Birkenhead, Liscard, Heswall, West Kirby, and Moreton (a sequential test). Larger, more attractive schemes would be encouraged in those centres, ahead of Hoylake. Is this what we want?
I note Roger Tym’s assessment of Hoylake as a ‘declining’ centre. It also mentions the need to tackle local stakeholders concerns about anti-social behaviour, need for improved bus services and environmental improvements. These may all be perfectly valid issues, but I think we are missing some key themes. There is a huge potential to improve Hoylake through the attraction of private sector investment, by promoting Hoylake as a tourist destination, and an attractive place to live. We have so much to offer in Hoylake, and I haven’t even mentioned yet The Open Golf tournament, the Ladies Golf, all the other important golf tournaments, the European Sandyachting Championships, the nationally important location for wading birds, Hoylake Sailing School, and so on. None of these are mentioned in the Roger Tym report, yet they are all unique assets and integral to Hoylake’s regeneration. What we need to do, collectively, is promote Hoylake’s assets and begin to attract more business and more investment into Hoylake. The potential is there, it just needs to be encouraged and developed in a co-ordinated way with all local stakeholders. Hoylake Village Life are committed to help making this happen. A planning policy which restricts private sector investment, and encourages it elsewhere could jeopardise Hoylake’s potential.
Hoylake Village Life urges you to make your views known to the Council. Hoylake does have a positive future.
Very disappointing to read that the “only” idea from this Council for Hoylake is a proposed “Golf Resort”, which apart from loosing valuable agricultural land will detract from the local Golf clubs. Surely we should be focussing on using what there is now better – e.g. tournaments using the existing golf and hotel facilities.
I must admit that the idea of a local Hoylake (&West Kirby?) Council is very tempting, assuming it does not become yet another administrative layer and further drain on the remaining real taxpayers!
If there were to be a Town Council I think better to have a really strong focus on Hoylake to be honest or else WK will dominate.
I have read with interest the comments with regard to Hoylake and its problems. I think it would be dire if WBC were to downgrade Hoylake. I believe that a Town Council for Hoylake would be such a good thing and a great deal of difference could be made to Market Street but only if Hoylake’s interests were very strongly represented.
I fully support the proposals for an outdoor market – and support the current action regarding the ‘laden donkey’ (irral News report).
I also think that a central area for a Town Square would greatly enhance the Hoylake and improve the village atmosphere.
It is really good that a group of people have begun the process of attempting to turn the tide and push for the regeneration of Hoylake. Hopefully the HVL will continue to gain momentum and support from the local community.
now that the open is to return to hoylake wirral council will as usual tart up the town like last time spending hundreds of thousand pounds on york stone paving which was badly installed . plant pots with flowers ,greasby farm feilds filled with buses and cars, trains stopping when games are played.local goverment dictating the price of alcohol did it really help hoylakes economy last time round i am not so sure.just wait to see how this wirral council will waste money to paint over the cracks. i am for the golf/open whats get me is when its all over hoylake will once again fade away just as the libaries have in wirral because there is no money but wait they will find millions for the open.
Agree that the Golf Open seems to have left very little for Hoylake, apart from the -cobbles / paving that is dangerous to walk on when wet. Another “Open” will again help. What I am concerd about is the Councils “only idea” of the ermanent “Golf Resort”, and how many £0000000’s of taxpayers money will be wasted, rather than working with the local golf clubs. THe site is good agricultural land and Green BElt and will soon have a better value if left for food production.
As an incomer to Hoylake I’m sure I am likely to upset some of you with my initial comments BUT “Is Hoylake actually a TOWN?”
Historically in this country of ours a town traditionally was a settlement which had a charter to hold a market or fair and therefore became a “market town”. Market towns were distinguished from villages in that they were the economic hub of a surrounding area, and were usually larger and had more facilities.
To me as an incomer I’ve always seen Hoylake as a village/district of Wirral.
Afterall by the Royal Mail’s postal address definition we all live in the Postal Town of ‘Wirral’
Birkenead is a TOWN, it has a market
Hoylake suffers from a lack of any focus point
As a visitor if you drive along Market St / Birkenhead Rd where would you say the CENTRE of Hoylake is?
It would appear there isn’t one!
Well hence the ideas expressed here for a ‘Town Square’
But wouldn’t a ‘Village Green’ be a better idea?
Though where would you place it?
Well the soon to be knocked down front half of Hoose Court would appear to offer an opportunity.
Afterall in the planning permission for its demolition Wirral Partnership Homes and our ‘RoTTen Boro’ stated that the vacant land would be landscaped.
PERFECT !
A Village Green, a location for a Market, a focus point for Hoylake . . .
It’s not the label of Town or Village that is important here.
The proposed downgrading to District Centre however, does have significant development funding and planning decision implications that could seriously affect Hoylake (see Matt’s very comprehensive note above).
Hoylake Village Life are working hard and are in discussions with the Council to promote Hoylake and defend its current status, and we encourage residents to make your voices heard.
We are at a critical point in the life of Hoylake. Let’s not miss the opportunity.
I was born in Hoylake, mt family the Brosters farmed in Hoylake from the 1800s to the 1930s. It was always a busy market town when I was little. In the summer people flocked to the open-air swimming baths which had cafes e.t.c. I hope the proposed cafe on the promanade will go ahead it is much needed. I agree with Peter Wilson a Waitrose would be a good draw.as Morrisons have been for West Kirby. That corner of West Kirby would be dead if it wasn’t there. No doubt the council will waste the money, like they did in Hoylake before the golf.
Helen, your family was in Hoylake during the 1800s as was mine. My great great grandfather , Thomas Hughes, owned the Punchbowl Pub in the late 1800s and then it was taken over by his daughter,, Mary Lizzie Hughes. The family originally was in West Kirby, but then in the middle 1800s they ended up in Hoylake on Market Street. Wonder if the Hughes and Broster’s knew one another. Take care, Bill Hughes
The Waitrose is already heading for West Kirby, replacing the fire station.
It’s in another section of the development plan…
I grew up in Hoylake in the 60s and 70s (I live in West Kirby now) and I remember The Concourse being built in West Kirby at about the same time that Hoose Court was built in Hoylake. Someone suggested to me a year or two ago that building a leisure complex in West Kirby and retirement flats in Hoylake had a big influence on a shift in status that took place. I suspect that being a linear development, between the shore and the railway line didn’t help – once the Town Hall went there was no real centre or focal point to the town (I think someone else wrote something about that). I thought that the situation generally had improved with Sainsburys opening, I sometimes come to Hoylake just for Sainsburys.