Work to improve and enhance visitor hotspots throughout Lytham St.Anne’s has been undertaken by Fylde Council as our area prepares for the 2022 tourist season. The funding follows Council successfully bid for £243,500 of grants courtesy of the Government’s Welcome Back Fund, which is providing councils across England with a share of £56m from the European Regional Development Fund to support the nation’s high streets following the pandemic.
On St. Anne’s Promenade more than 100 benches have now been painted, together with railings and bins, while flowerbeds throughout the town centre are being planted with colourful blooms ready to welcome visitors.
Railings and lampposts in Lytham’s Clifton Square, a popular place for outdoor diners and visitors, have also been spruced up while the Square itself has been professionally cleaned.
Fylde Council is also using its Welcome Back Fund in a wide variety of imaginative ways. These include the funding of improvements to Fylde town centres and financially supporting local business groups to create a range of events and activities that promote retail, hospitality and the visitor economy.
Fylde Council leader Councillor Karen Buckley said: ‘Like many resorts and visitor destinations up and down the country, St Anne’s and Lytham were hit very hard by the Covid-19 pandemic. Fylde Council successfully won £243,500 through the Government’s Welcome Back Fund and I was determined every penny would be spent to help our town centres bounce back.’
She continued, ‘The work that has been carried out to repaint benches and railings along the Promenade in St Anne’s is wonderful – it is so great to see. It is really important the town looks its finest ahead of the spring and, together with the other improvement work that is being carried out, both here and in Lytham, I am sure residents and visitors will be impressed.’
The painting work has been carried out by Fylde coast-based Rushworth Painting Ltd. Director Chris Rushworth said: ‘It has been a real joy to work on this contract. So many people have come up to our guys while painting the benches to say what a difference it makes. It has been a tough time for tourism over the last few years so we’re really happy to be involved in a project which helps improve St Anne’s wonderful Promenade ahead of the summer season.’
The work in Lytham, which included power-washing Clifton Square and clearing weeds, has been welcomed by local business owners and tourism leaders.
Councillor Michael Sayward, Fylde Council’s tourism and leisure chairman and owner of Attire clothing on Clifton Street, said: ‘Clifton Square looks fabulous and the cleaning work has made a real difference. The Square is such a focal point of the town, visited by thousands of people every week, so it’s important it looks its best.’
Damian Clarke, managing director of Stringers Department store and deputy chairman of Lytham Business Group, added: ‘I’m delighted the Square has been cleaned and tidied ready for an exciting and busy spring. We’re looking forward to the summer buzz and welcoming everyone back to Lytham.’
One Response
Try and get the council to come and clean up outside the centre of town and you can just forget it. I’ve written about removing debris and rubbish from the side of Liggard Brook on Lorne Street and the council haven’t bothered to reply. It’s been there for months. I’ve called and no further action.
The council don’t give a toss about the less affluent areas. They serve business and not ordinary residents. The council are owned by the business interests and ignore the rest of us. FBC are lackeys for commercial concerns in the town.
Very good… Nice benches. Sort out the roads which are worse than Albanian villages in many areas of the town away from the expensive houses and clear up the brook. It should be an environmental priority to take care of the areas next to the water course and insets it’s full of rubbish. FBC joke.