Residents contacted Rosie Cooper MP over many months concerned about the apparent lack of progress on the Skelmersdale Vision plans.

Rosie, in a bid to help local residents has secured an ‘in principle’ commitment from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), which it is hoped will mean that the HCA will put further funding into  housing regeneration schemes in Skelmersdale , in addition to the funding recently announced for the 17 unit scheme in Elmstead, Tanhouse.

At this stage this proposal remains ‘in principle’ until further studies have taken place and the final decision will be need to taken by the HCA’s Board.

Rosie made the announcement after she held the second Skelmersdale Summit at the Tanhouse Community Centre with representatives from the HCA, Government Office North West, North West Development Agency, Lancashire County Council and West Lancashire Borough Council.

Rosie said: “I am delighted to have reached this ‘in principle’ agreement with the HCA.  In this difficult economy it is vital that we take every step to ensure the town centre redevelopment happens. We must be as ambitious for the people of Skelmersdale as we are for the town centre which is nothing less than the people of Skelmersdale deserve.”

“Following the Tesco/ Kirkby rejection Skelmersdale’s town centre redevelopment is really beginning to happen.  I recently broke the ground on the new £42 million Skelmersdale College which will be the lynchpin in the town’s regeneration. The next goal is to deliver a programme for the wider town, the estates and the environmental aspects. This is the main focus for the Skelmersdale Summit meetings while we also continue the campaign for a new railway station in the town to improve transport links."