The death of the high street and town centres across the UK will be an issue in many areas when England goes to the polls next week, and Kirkby is a shining example of this issue.
It is true that the UK is facing a retail crisis, with over 17,000 stores in the UK predicted to be closing in 2025 compared to 13,479 in 2024 and 10,494 in 2023.
Last year was tumultuous for the UK high street, with an estimated 20 retail firms and banks having to close down over 850 branches.
Kirkby town centre almost feels like an embodiment of this national picture, with shops closing left and right leaving the town centre with a desolate feeling. With local officials making plans to spend regeneration money offered by the Government last year to boost local communities, for residents, change cannot come quickly enough.
Mark Waters, artist and local Kirkby resident said: “We’ve had shops here that used to thrive.
“We used to have a butchers that moved from the market over here [town centre] but the rates drove him out.”
Amidst shops closing, construction works have started for a housing development on the land where Kirkby College used to be before it was demolished.
Mr Waters said: “They took the college away, they moved the college to Huyton, shops lose out on students.
“When they put these 800 houses up now, where’s the infrastructure to support the people that are going to be going in there? Where’s the doctors? Where’s the dentists? There’s nothing.”
The lack of infrastructure in Kirkby is a historical and long-standing issue, and the decline has been witnessed by local residents.
Retired local Kirkby resident Terry Cooke said: “I’ve lived in Kirkby most of my life, moved up when I was 13 in 1957 which was then a new town.”
“We left the old neighbourhood behind in the city centre and started a new life in Kirkby.
“It’s progressed quite a lot, but suddenly, or arguably due to the fact that a lot of the factories closed down, once a very vibrant place, I’m afraid that’s all gone now.
“As regards to the town centre, it’s an absolute disaster.”
Semi-retired structural engineer and local Kirkby resident Tony O’Connor said: “Much like Terry I’ve seen Kirkby on it’s rise and on it’s demise as well.
“It’s suffered very badly from some very bad decisions.”
In January 2026 the Kirkby Neighbourhood Board revealed that they had submitted the Kirkby Regeneration and Investment Plan to the Government as a part of the Pride in Place Programme.
The Pride of Place Programme is a Government initiative that aims to build communities, create thriving places and empower people, a development which could help to tackle the issues raised by Kirkby residents.
Kirkby is in the first phase of places selected to receive up to £19.5 million under the initiative.
Featured image copyright Roxane Petrou.
