Kirkby
Encyclopedia
Kirkby is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley
in the metropolitan county
of Merseyside
(prior to 1 April 1974 in Lancashire
) in England
. The town was developed from the 1950s through 1970s as a means to house the overspill of Liverpool
. It is situated roughly 5 miles (8 km) north of Huyton
, the administrative HQ of the borough and about 6 miles (10 km) north-east of central Liverpool. The population of the town as of the 2001 census is 40,472. It is traditionally believed to be founded in 870 although there is archaeological evidence for settlement from the Bronze Age.
although archaeological digs have produced evidence of habitation in the Bronze Age
. The name Kirk
-by, literally meaning "church" and "settlement" is of Old Norse
origin whose settlers arrived via Ireland around 900.
The first direct evidence of a settlement dates from 1086 and the Domesday Book
, with a reference to Cherchebi – population 70.
Ownership of the land containing modern-day Kirkby – established as the West Derby Hundred
in the 11th century – passed through many hands, until 1596, when the Molyneux family purchased the hundred in its entirety. After a brief loss of patronage in 1737, as a result of the head of the family taking holy orders
, in 1771 the Molyneux family were made Earls of Sefton
and regained their lands.
Although remaining largely farmland until the mid 20th century, initial transport links to the area began in 1848, with the building of the Liverpool and Bury Railway
through Kirkby. The East Lancashire Road
(A580 road
) added road connections in 1935, and industrial development was being considered prior to the outbreak of the Second World War. A Royal Ordnance
filling factory
– ROF Kirkby
– was established in 1939, being completed in 1941. At its peak, the factory employed over 20,000 workers.
After the end of the war, Liverpool had suffered much damage from the Blitz
and much of its remaining housing stock was poor and considered slums. In an effort to improve these conditions Liverpool Corporation began a policy of buying surrounding areas and moving industry and people to newly developed 'overspill' estates. This process culminated with the purchase of 4070 acres (16.5 km²) of land, including the land comprising Kirkby from the Earl of Sefton
in 1947 for £375,000 (£ inflation adjusted). Kirkby would become the largest of these overspill estates for Merseyside. As development of the town grew Liverpool requested to have it officially designated a new town
in 1949 but this was rejected. Large-scale development began in February 1950 with the construction of the Southdene neighbourhood with the first houses being finished in 1952, the 5,000th in 1956 and the 10,000th in 1961, with a population in 1951 of 3000 swelling to over 52,000 by 1961, making it the fastest growing community in the UK by far. The Kirkby Urban District
was created in 1958.
Such a vast growth rate caused many problems, not the least of which was that the construction of local amenities had not kept the same pace. For example, while occupation of the council estates of Southdene had begun in 1952, the first shops were not completed until 1955 and the first public house was not open until 1959. Additionally, the people who were being moved into Kirkby during this period came from the poorest areas of Liverpool. During this time Kirkby industrial estate was steadily expanding to become one of the largest in England until at its peak in 1971 the estate provided employment for over 26,000 people.
Kirkby achieved independent Urban District status in 1958. This was then abolished and on 1 April 1974 its former area combined with that of Huyton with Roby Urban District
, Prescot Urban District
, parts of Whiston Rural District
and parts of West Lancashire Rural District
to form the present-day Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley
.
Following the 1993 murder of Kirkby toddler James Bulger
, UK tabloid and broadsheet
newspapers attacked Kirkby, and Liverpool in general, accusing them of false grief ('self-pity city')
and blaming the town's decrepit state for his death – much in a similar vein as editorials and comments following the Hillsborough disaster
.
The River Alt
flows through the extreme south west of the town, with the Kirkby Brook tributary
passing through the centre.
s and maisonettes – built during the 1960s, but fallen into disrepair – on a town-wide basis, and the resultant need for replacement housing stock.
According to statistics of the UK Government, the borough of Knowsley, including Kirkby, had a population of 150,459 at the 2001 census with a balance of 53% female and 47% male.
The borough is overwhelmingly of a white ethnic background at 98.42% against a national average of 90.9%. In order of population size other ethnic groups are represented as multiracial
at 0.83%, Chinese at 0.24%, other Asian at 0.23% and black at 0.22%.
The borough is mostly Christian
at 85.63% compared to the national average of 71.74%, with the next most significant grouping at 5.84% describing themselves as non-religious much lower than the national average of 14.59%. Just 0.17%, 0.11%, 0.07% and 0.03% would describe themselves as Muslim
, Hindu
, Buddhist and Jewish, respectively.
still employs many of the towns workers, however the town's industrial heritage has largely faded away, with service industries moving in to replace the factories. Major employers currently active in the town include QVC
and Barclaycard
, with several other call centre
companies also based in Kirkby.
In December 2006, a proposal was made by Tesco
and Everton FC for an extensive redevelopment of the town centre, including a new 50,000 seater stadium for the football
team and associated retail developments. The proposals also include a hotel, leisure and retail facilities. It has also been stated there the town's public amenities would be increased including a walk-in health centre. But this is at the cost of losing one of the largest open public green spaces in the town.
It is claimed that a majority support regeneration in general but is not clear whether residents favour this particular development which is to include a Tesco superstore, new town centre shops and the Everton stadium. Results of the public consultations have not been released into the public domain. Reports suggest local support for the Tesco Everton scheme appears to be tempered by concern over the effect the stadium will have on residents.
According to local reports, there was an alternative scheme where an Asda
would have been built in Kirkby but Tesco has bought up most of the Town centre. The ASDA scheme seems to have fallen by the wayside to a new shop where the old Netto (store)
was, it is called Ugo.
Public meetings about the Tesco development have also been held by local pressure group Kirkby Residents' Action Group and in other forums. These include a public meeting in St. Chad's Church, where 500 people attended and a public march was organised to demonstrate against the stadium proposals.
The action group was formed to campaign for a referendum of the people of the town. It appears that public opinion is not clear as to support for or opposition to the proposals for a Tesco/Everton FC development.
Another action group called Kirkby Residents In Support of progress (KRISP) who support the scheme was formed specifically to back Tescos claims about the development. However, KRISP has not been heard of since the Inquiry ended
Knowsley MBC Planning Committee were 'minded to approve' the Tesco/Everton FC scheme and the decision has been made by UK Government to 'Call it in' which led to a Public Inquiry. All sides gave evidence and await the Inspectors recommendations. The decision may not be made until November 2009.
It now seems that the majority of residents who voted support the scheme as all wards in Kirkby returned Labour Party candidates into office in the May 2008 local government election. Opposers of the scheme point to overall votes (52% to 48%) to other parties and rightly claim this as a victory however they counted in this a newly formed political party to fight the campaign and other parties including the lib dems and Tories. All were beaten, but 1st 4 Kirkby missed out on gaining a council seat by a mere 16 votes. At the original Planning Committee four Lib-Dem Councillors voted in favour of the proposals. The Labour Party Candidates openly supported the controversial and flawed development scheme. Alas this was to no avail as the Secretary of State rejected the application outright on 26 November 2009 and so ended the infamous fiasco known as "Destination Kirkby".
and the A506. The area is well served by public transport, with rail connections from Kirkby railway station
to Liverpool city centre (on the Merseyrail
Northern Line
) and Manchester
(via Wigan
, on the Kirkby Branch Line
). Stagecoach Merseyside
provide the vast majority of bus routes in Kirkby and these connect Kirkby with several nearby districts of Liverpool and Merseyside. Kirkby was planned to be the terminus of the first line of the Merseytram
tram
service until the scheme's termination by the Government.
al needs are provided by Knowsley Community College
which supports the whole of Knowsley, including a main centre based in Kirkby town centre. It has a yearly intake of over 12,000. Kirkby also has three secondary schools and sixteen primary schools.
. It was also the proposed new site
for the new stadium for Everton
which has recently been declined.
The most popularly supported football teams in the town are Liverpool and Everton, although in the past the town had its own non-league team, Kirkby Town
, later renamed Knowsley United
before they were dissolved in 1997.
The town has also been home to a number of notable footballers, including:
. The force's Basic Command Unit
in the Knowsley
borough has a station in Kirkby on St Chad's Drive. Public transport is co-ordinated by the Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive
. Statutory emergency fire and rescue service is provided by the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service
, which has a station in Kirkby on Webster Drive.
Waste management
is co-ordinated by the local authority via the Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority
. Kirkby's Distribution Network Operator
for electricity is United Utilities
. United Utilities also manages Kirkby's drinking and waste water.
Kirkby is served by Knowsley NHS Primary Care Trust. Fazakerley Hospital
is the nearest hospital to Kirkby. There are nine GP
surgeries and four dental practices. Ambulance services are provided by the North West Ambulance Service
with a station based in Kirkby.
The British Telecom Simonswood exchange
provides local telephone and ADSL internet services to the area, with a number of other companies offering services through local loop unbundling
. Virgin Media
services are also available to the town, providing television, telephone and cable internet
.
The local BBC
radio station is Radio Merseyside and the local ITV
franchise holder is Granada Television
Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley
The Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley is a metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England. It comprises the towns of Kirkby, Prescot, Huyton, Whiston, Halewood and Cronton; Kirkby, Huyton, and Prescot being the major commercial centres...
in the metropolitan county
Metropolitan county
The metropolitan counties are a type of county-level administrative division of England. There are six metropolitan counties, which each cover large urban areas, typically with populations of 1.2 to 2.8 million...
of Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
(prior to 1 April 1974 in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
) in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The town was developed from the 1950s through 1970s as a means to house the overspill of Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
. It is situated roughly 5 miles (8 km) north of Huyton
Huyton
Huyton is a suburb of Liverpool within the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley, with some parts belonging to the borough of Liverpool in Merseyside, England. It is part of the Liverpool Urban Area and has close associations with its neighbour, Roby, having both formerly been part of the Huyton with...
, the administrative HQ of the borough and about 6 miles (10 km) north-east of central Liverpool. The population of the town as of the 2001 census is 40,472. It is traditionally believed to be founded in 870 although there is archaeological evidence for settlement from the Bronze Age.
History
Historically a part of Lancashire, Kirkby is believed to have been founded circa 870,although archaeological digs have produced evidence of habitation in the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
. The name Kirk
Kirk
Kirk can mean "church" in general or the Church of Scotland in particular. Many place names and personal names are also derived from it.-Basic meaning and etymology:...
-by, literally meaning "church" and "settlement" is of Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
origin whose settlers arrived via Ireland around 900.
The first direct evidence of a settlement dates from 1086 and the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
, with a reference to Cherchebi – population 70.
Ownership of the land containing modern-day Kirkby – established as the West Derby Hundred
West Derby (hundred)
The hundred of West Derby was an ancient division of the historic county of Lancashire, in northern England. It was sometimes known as West Derbyshire, the name alluding to its judicial centre being the township of West Derby .It covered the southwest of Lancashire, containing the ancient...
in the 11th century – passed through many hands, until 1596, when the Molyneux family purchased the hundred in its entirety. After a brief loss of patronage in 1737, as a result of the head of the family taking holy orders
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
, in 1771 the Molyneux family were made Earls of Sefton
Earl of Sefton
The title Earl of Sefton was created in the Peerage of Ireland in1771 for the 8th Viscount Molyneux. The Earls of Sefton held the subsidiary titles Viscount Molyneux, of Maryborough in the Queen's County , in the Peerage of Ireland, and Baron Sefton, of Croxteth in the County Palatine of Lancaster...
and regained their lands.
Although remaining largely farmland until the mid 20th century, initial transport links to the area began in 1848, with the building of the Liverpool and Bury Railway
Liverpool and Bury Railway
The Liverpool and Bury Railway was formed in 1845 and opened on 28 November 1848. The line ran from Liverpool Exchange first using a joint line with Liverpool, Ormskirk and Preston Railway before branching of to proceed via Kirkby then Wigan and Bolton to Bury.In 1846 the line merged with the...
through Kirkby. The East Lancashire Road
A580 road
The A580 is a primary A road in England that connects Walton, near Liverpool and Salford, near Manchester and known officially as Liverpool-East Lancashire Road. Locally, the road is shortened to the "East Lancs". The road was designed and built to provide better access to the Port of Liverpool for...
(A580 road
A580 road
The A580 is a primary A road in England that connects Walton, near Liverpool and Salford, near Manchester and known officially as Liverpool-East Lancashire Road. Locally, the road is shortened to the "East Lancs". The road was designed and built to provide better access to the Port of Liverpool for...
) added road connections in 1935, and industrial development was being considered prior to the outbreak of the Second World War. A Royal Ordnance
Royal Ordnance Factory
Royal Ordnance Factories was the collective name of the UK government's munitions factories in and after World War II. Until privatisation in 1987 they were the responsibility of the Ministry of Supply and later the Ministry of Defence....
filling factory
Filling Factories
A Filling Factory was a munitions factory which specialised in filling various munitions, such as bombs, shells, cartridges, pyrotechnics, screening smokes, etc...
– ROF Kirkby
ROF Kirkby
ROF Kirkby, was a large World War II Royal Ordnance Factory filling munitions. It was based in the rural area of Kirkby, Merseyside in order to reduce the potential damage from explosions; and produced munitions from September 1940 to March 1946.-History:Original planning for the site began at...
– was established in 1939, being completed in 1941. At its peak, the factory employed over 20,000 workers.
After the end of the war, Liverpool had suffered much damage from the Blitz
The Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
and much of its remaining housing stock was poor and considered slums. In an effort to improve these conditions Liverpool Corporation began a policy of buying surrounding areas and moving industry and people to newly developed 'overspill' estates. This process culminated with the purchase of 4070 acres (16.5 km²) of land, including the land comprising Kirkby from the Earl of Sefton
Earl of Sefton
The title Earl of Sefton was created in the Peerage of Ireland in1771 for the 8th Viscount Molyneux. The Earls of Sefton held the subsidiary titles Viscount Molyneux, of Maryborough in the Queen's County , in the Peerage of Ireland, and Baron Sefton, of Croxteth in the County Palatine of Lancaster...
in 1947 for £375,000 (£ inflation adjusted). Kirkby would become the largest of these overspill estates for Merseyside. As development of the town grew Liverpool requested to have it officially designated a new town
New town
A new town is a specific type of a planned community, or planned city, that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed in a previously undeveloped area. This contrasts with settlements that evolve in a more ad hoc fashion. Land use conflicts are uncommon in new...
in 1949 but this was rejected. Large-scale development began in February 1950 with the construction of the Southdene neighbourhood with the first houses being finished in 1952, the 5,000th in 1956 and the 10,000th in 1961, with a population in 1951 of 3000 swelling to over 52,000 by 1961, making it the fastest growing community in the UK by far. The Kirkby Urban District
Kirkby Urban District
Kirkby Urban District was a local government district in the administrative county of Lancashire, England from 1958 to 1974. From 1949 onwards, the main settlement of the district was Kirkby new town...
was created in 1958.
Such a vast growth rate caused many problems, not the least of which was that the construction of local amenities had not kept the same pace. For example, while occupation of the council estates of Southdene had begun in 1952, the first shops were not completed until 1955 and the first public house was not open until 1959. Additionally, the people who were being moved into Kirkby during this period came from the poorest areas of Liverpool. During this time Kirkby industrial estate was steadily expanding to become one of the largest in England until at its peak in 1971 the estate provided employment for over 26,000 people.
Kirkby achieved independent Urban District status in 1958. This was then abolished and on 1 April 1974 its former area combined with that of Huyton with Roby Urban District
Huyton with Roby Urban District
Huyton with Roby Urban District was a local government district in Lancashire, England from 1894 to 1974. It consisted of the civil parish of Huyton with Roby which comprised the settlements of Huyton and Roby...
, Prescot Urban District
Prescot Urban District
Prescot Urban District was a local government district in the administrative county of Lancashire, England from 1894 to 1974.the main settlement of the district was the town of Prescot....
, parts of Whiston Rural District
Whiston Rural District
Whiston Rural District was a rural district of the administrative county of Lancashire, England. It was created in 1895 by renaming the Prescot Rural District when the parish of Prescot was removed from that rural district and created a separate urban district. Later the parish of Speke was...
and parts of West Lancashire Rural District
West Lancashire Rural District
West Lancashire was a rural district from 1894 to 1974 in Lancashire, England. It was created with other rural districts in 1894, based on the Ormskirk rural sanitary district...
to form the present-day Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley
Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley
The Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley is a metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England. It comprises the towns of Kirkby, Prescot, Huyton, Whiston, Halewood and Cronton; Kirkby, Huyton, and Prescot being the major commercial centres...
.
Following the 1993 murder of Kirkby toddler James Bulger
Murder of James Bulger
James Patrick Bulger was a boy from Kirkby, England, who was murdered on 12 February 1993, when aged two. He was abducted, tortured and murdered by two ten-year-old boys, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables .Bulger disappeared from the New Strand Shopping Centre in Bootle, near Liverpool, while...
, UK tabloid and broadsheet
Broadsheet
Broadsheet is the largest of the various newspaper formats and is characterized by long vertical pages . The term derives from types of popular prints usually just of a single sheet, sold on the streets and containing various types of material, from ballads to political satire. The first broadsheet...
newspapers attacked Kirkby, and Liverpool in general, accusing them of false grief ('self-pity city')
and blaming the town's decrepit state for his death – much in a similar vein as editorials and comments following the Hillsborough disaster
Hillsborough disaster
The Hillsborough disaster was a human crush that occurred on 15 April 1989 at Hillsborough, a football stadium, the home of Sheffield Wednesday F.C. in Sheffield, England, resulting in the deaths of 96 people, and 766 being injured, all fans of Liverpool F.C....
.
Geography
Kirkby lies 6 miles (10 km) north-east of Liverpool and roughly within the geographic centre of Merseyside in the north-west of England. It is 180 miles (290 km) north-west of London, 5 miles (8 km) north-west of Huyton, the borough administrative headquarters.The River Alt
River Alt
The River Alt is in Merseyside, England.The Alt runs from Hag Plantation in Huyton at , through Croxteth Park, roughly follows the M57 motorway south of Kirkby, then flows north of Aintree and south of Maghull...
flows through the extreme south west of the town, with the Kirkby Brook tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
passing through the centre.
Demography
The current population of the town stands at 40,472 as of the 2001 census. This represents just over a quarter of the total population of the borough of Knowsley and is somewhat down from its peak of 52,207 in the 1961 census, largely due to falling birth rates and the slow decline of the industrial estate forcing workers to look elsewhere. However, housing demand has increased in recent years, with significant developments being built across the town. This demand can somewhat be attributed to the demolition of high-rise flatTower block
A tower block, high-rise, apartment tower, office tower, apartment block, or block of flats, is a tall building or structure used as a residential and/or office building...
s and maisonettes – built during the 1960s, but fallen into disrepair – on a town-wide basis, and the resultant need for replacement housing stock.
According to statistics of the UK Government, the borough of Knowsley, including Kirkby, had a population of 150,459 at the 2001 census with a balance of 53% female and 47% male.
The borough is overwhelmingly of a white ethnic background at 98.42% against a national average of 90.9%. In order of population size other ethnic groups are represented as multiracial
Multiracial
The terms multiracial and mixed-race describe people whose ancestries come from multiple races. Unlike the term biracial, which often is only used to refer to having parents or grandparents of two different races, the term multiracial may encompass biracial people but can also include people with...
at 0.83%, Chinese at 0.24%, other Asian at 0.23% and black at 0.22%.
The borough is mostly Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
at 85.63% compared to the national average of 71.74%, with the next most significant grouping at 5.84% describing themselves as non-religious much lower than the national average of 14.59%. Just 0.17%, 0.11%, 0.07% and 0.03% would describe themselves as Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
, Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
, Buddhist and Jewish, respectively.
Population change
Below is a table outlining population change of the town since 1861. As can be seen the population of the town was on a gradual downward trend from 1861 to 1931 before beginning to soar when Liverpool Corporation began to develop the area on a mass-scale. The annualised growth rate from 1951 to 1961 was over 30%, making it by far the fastest growing town in the country. The total population of Kirkby peaked in 1971 at 59,917, and has since seen a steady decline. Recently the town's population has been growing however and the town is estimated by the NHS to total around 44,120 as of 2006.| Year | 1861 | 1871 | 1881 | 1891 | 1911 | 1921 | 1931 | 1951 | 1961 | 1971 | 2001 | 2006 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,451 | 1,397 | 1,401 | 1,283 | 1,211 | 1,116 | 1,151 | 3,078 | 52,088 | 59,917 | 40,472 | 44,120 |
| Source: A Vision of Britain through Time | ||||||||||||
Economy
Kirkby industrial estate, formerly ROF KirkbyROF Kirkby
ROF Kirkby, was a large World War II Royal Ordnance Factory filling munitions. It was based in the rural area of Kirkby, Merseyside in order to reduce the potential damage from explosions; and produced munitions from September 1940 to March 1946.-History:Original planning for the site began at...
still employs many of the towns workers, however the town's industrial heritage has largely faded away, with service industries moving in to replace the factories. Major employers currently active in the town include QVC
QVC (UK)
QVC UK is a digital television shopping channel broadcast in the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1993 when QVC, Inc. formed a deal with Sky TV to create a UK version of the US channel. "QVC — The Shopping Channel" first broadcast in the UK on 1 October 1993. QVC UK - 20% owned by Sky - moved into...
and Barclaycard
Barclaycard
Barclaycard, part of Barclays Retail and Business Banking, is a global payment business. The Barclaycard was the first credit card introduced in the UK, coming into service in 1966. It enjoyed a monopoly until the introduction of the Access card in 1972....
, with several other call centre
Call centre
A call centre or call center is a centralised office used for the purpose of receiving and transmitting a large volume of requests by telephone. A call centre is operated by a company to administer incoming product support or information inquiries from consumers. Outgoing calls for telemarketing,...
companies also based in Kirkby.
Regeneration efforts
Kirkby has seen considerable regeneration efforts in recent years. The Kirkby Sports Centre, one of the main athletic and cycling tracks in the region, was replaced by a new facility in summer 2007.In December 2006, a proposal was made by Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
and Everton FC for an extensive redevelopment of the town centre, including a new 50,000 seater stadium for the football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
team and associated retail developments. The proposals also include a hotel, leisure and retail facilities. It has also been stated there the town's public amenities would be increased including a walk-in health centre. But this is at the cost of losing one of the largest open public green spaces in the town.
Public response to regeneration plans
According to local reports, Knowsley Borough Council hosted public consultation events about possible redevelopment options in summer 2007, which indicated most respondents showed they had reservations about the proposed football ground.It is claimed that a majority support regeneration in general but is not clear whether residents favour this particular development which is to include a Tesco superstore, new town centre shops and the Everton stadium. Results of the public consultations have not been released into the public domain. Reports suggest local support for the Tesco Everton scheme appears to be tempered by concern over the effect the stadium will have on residents.
According to local reports, there was an alternative scheme where an Asda
Asda
Asda Stores Ltd is a British supermarket chain which retails food, clothing, general merchandise, toys and financial services. It also has a mobile telephone network, , Asda Mobile...
would have been built in Kirkby but Tesco has bought up most of the Town centre. The ASDA scheme seems to have fallen by the wayside to a new shop where the old Netto (store)
Netto (store)
Netto is a Danish discount supermarket operating in several European countries. Netto is owned by Dansk Supermarked Group, which in turn is partly owned by A.P. Møller-Mærsk Group.Netto also operates an express version of the store, known as Døgn Netto...
was, it is called Ugo.
Public meetings about the Tesco development have also been held by local pressure group Kirkby Residents' Action Group and in other forums. These include a public meeting in St. Chad's Church, where 500 people attended and a public march was organised to demonstrate against the stadium proposals.
The action group was formed to campaign for a referendum of the people of the town. It appears that public opinion is not clear as to support for or opposition to the proposals for a Tesco/Everton FC development.
Another action group called Kirkby Residents In Support of progress (KRISP) who support the scheme was formed specifically to back Tescos claims about the development. However, KRISP has not been heard of since the Inquiry ended
Knowsley MBC Planning Committee were 'minded to approve' the Tesco/Everton FC scheme and the decision has been made by UK Government to 'Call it in' which led to a Public Inquiry. All sides gave evidence and await the Inspectors recommendations. The decision may not be made until November 2009.
It now seems that the majority of residents who voted support the scheme as all wards in Kirkby returned Labour Party candidates into office in the May 2008 local government election. Opposers of the scheme point to overall votes (52% to 48%) to other parties and rightly claim this as a victory however they counted in this a newly formed political party to fight the campaign and other parties including the lib dems and Tories. All were beaten, but 1st 4 Kirkby missed out on gaining a council seat by a mere 16 votes. At the original Planning Committee four Lib-Dem Councillors voted in favour of the proposals. The Labour Party Candidates openly supported the controversial and flawed development scheme. Alas this was to no avail as the Secretary of State rejected the application outright on 26 November 2009 and so ended the infamous fiasco known as "Destination Kirkby".
Transport
The M57 motorway runs adjacent to Kirkby, and the M58 connects just to the north of Kirkby. Other major routes include the A580 East Lancashire RoadA580 road
The A580 is a primary A road in England that connects Walton, near Liverpool and Salford, near Manchester and known officially as Liverpool-East Lancashire Road. Locally, the road is shortened to the "East Lancs". The road was designed and built to provide better access to the Port of Liverpool for...
and the A506. The area is well served by public transport, with rail connections from Kirkby railway station
Kirkby railway station
Kirkby railway station is situated in Kirkby, Merseyside, England. The station is an interchange between Merseyrail services from Liverpool Central and Northern Rail services from Manchester Victoria via Wigan Wallgate....
to Liverpool city centre (on the Merseyrail
Merseyrail
Merseyrail is a train operating company and commuter rail network in the United Kingdom, centred on Liverpool, Merseyside. The network is predominantly electric with diesel trains running on the City Line. Two City Line branches are currently being electrified on the overhead wire AC system with...
Northern Line
Northern Line (Merseyrail)
The Northern Line is one of the two commuter rail lines operated by Merseyrail in Merseyside, England. The other line is the Wirral Line. A third line of the Merseyrail Network, the City Line, is not owned or operated by Merseyrail, although funded by Merseytravel.The Northern Line passes...
) and Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
(via Wigan
Wigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
, on the Kirkby Branch Line
Kirkby Branch Line
The Kirkby Branch Line is a railway line in England, running from Wigan in Greater Manchester to Kirkby in Merseyside. Now a partly single-track route with an hourly diesel service operated by Northern Rail, the line was once part of a mainline route from Manchester to Liverpool operated by the...
). Stagecoach Merseyside
Stagecoach Merseyside
Stagecoach Merseyside is a major operator of bus services in the English city of Liverpool and in the surrounding area of Merseyside. It is a subsidiary of the Stagecoach Group...
provide the vast majority of bus routes in Kirkby and these connect Kirkby with several nearby districts of Liverpool and Merseyside. Kirkby was planned to be the terminus of the first line of the Merseytram
Merseytram
Merseytram is a proposed tram system for Liverpool and surrounding districts of Merseyside, England. Originally proposed in 2001, forming part of the Merseyside Local Transport Plan, it consists of three lines, connecting outlying suburbs of the city with the city centre...
tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
service until the scheme's termination by the Government.
Education
- Kirkby CE Primary
- Millbrook CE Primary
- Ravenscroft Primary
- Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Primary
- St Michael & All Angels Catholic Primary
- St Joseph the Worker Catholic Primary
- St Laurence's Catholic Primary
- Northwood Primary
Further education
Kirkby's further educationFurther education
Further education is a term mainly used in connection with education in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is post-compulsory education , that is distinct from the education offered in universities...
al needs are provided by Knowsley Community College
Knowsley Community College
Knowsley Community College is a further education college based over three sites in the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley, in Merseyside, England....
which supports the whole of Knowsley, including a main centre based in Kirkby town centre. It has a yearly intake of over 12,000. Kirkby also has three secondary schools and sixteen primary schools.
Sports and recreation
Kirkby is home to the youth academy of LiverpoolLiverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
. It was also the proposed new site
Everton Kirkby Project
The Kirkby Project was a proposed new football stadium in Kirkby, England for . The plan originated in 2006, was the subject of a Public Inquiry in December 2008, but was eventually rejected by central government in November 2009...
for the new stadium for Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
which has recently been declined.
The most popularly supported football teams in the town are Liverpool and Everton, although in the past the town had its own non-league team, Kirkby Town
Knowsley United F.C.
Knowsley United was an English football club based in Huyton, Merseyside. Originally named Kirkby Town they folded in 1997.-History:Kirkby Town joined the Second Division of the Lancashire Combination in 1963. In 1966–67 they won the division, and were promoted to the First Division. In 1969–70...
, later renamed Knowsley United
Knowsley United F.C.
Knowsley United was an English football club based in Huyton, Merseyside. Originally named Kirkby Town they folded in 1997.-History:Kirkby Town joined the Second Division of the Lancashire Combination in 1963. In 1966–67 they won the division, and were promoted to the First Division. In 1969–70...
before they were dissolved in 1997.
The town has also been home to a number of notable footballers, including:
- Leighton BainesLeighton BainesLeighton John Baines is an English footballer who plays for Everton and the England national football team.He started his career with Wigan Athletic, with whom he won the Second Division in the 2002–03 season and was a runner-up in the 2004–05 Championship and the 2006 Football League Cup Final....
– current Everton player, formerly of Wigan AthleticWigan Athletic F.C.Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW... - Phil BoersmaPhil BoersmaPhilip 'Phil' Boersma is an ex-professional footballer, who played as a midfield/striker for Liverpool and Middlesbrough among others.-Life and playing career:...
– retired Liverpool player - Tommy CatonTommy CatonThomas Stephen "Tommy" Caton was an English football player.Born in Kirkby, Liverpool, Caton was a centre half who played for England schoolboys, before signing for Manchester City as an apprentice in 1978...
– retired Manchester CityManchester City F.C.Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
, ArsenalArsenal F.C.Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
, Oxford UnitedOxford United F.C.Oxford United Football Club is an English association football club based in Oxford, Oxfordshire. The club play in League Two, following promotion from the Conference National in May 2010. The club had been a non-League side since their relegation from the Football League in the 2005–06 season. The...
player - Paul CookPaul Cook (footballer)Paul Anthony Cook is an English former footballer, currently manager of Sligo Rovers in Ireland. He had a lengthy career, playing for a number of clubs in the Football League as a left sided or central midfielder before retiring from the game in 2006.-Playing career:Cook began his career at his...
– Retired SouthportSouthport F.C.Southport Football Club are an English football club, based in Southport, Merseyside. They are currently in the Conference National, and play their home matches at Haig Avenue, which has a capacity of 6,008...
manager, former Wigan Athletic and Tranmere RoversTranmere Rovers F.C.Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
player - Alan DugdaleAlan DugdaleAlan Dugdale is a retired English professional football central defender. He spent most of his career in England with one season in the North American Soccer League....
– Retired Coventry City, Charlton AthleticCharlton Athletic F.C.Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
and BarnsleyBarnsley F.C.Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...
player - Ken Dugdale – Retired Wigan Athletic player and former New Zealand national team manager
Notable people
- Robert AthertonRobert Atherton-Life:Born in Liverpool, Lancashire in 1861, Atherton spent his youth as a ploughboy but later took holy orders at St. Aidan's Theological College, Birkenhead, and afterwards became Rector of the parish church at Bolnhurst in Bedfordshire, a post he occupied for 15 years.Whilst there, he began...
– poet - Leighton BainesLeighton BainesLeighton John Baines is an English footballer who plays for Everton and the England national football team.He started his career with Wigan Athletic, with whom he won the Second Division in the 2002–03 season and was a runner-up in the 2004–05 Championship and the 2006 Football League Cup Final....
- footballer - Alan BleasdaleAlan BleasdaleAlan Bleasdale is an English television dramatist, best known for writing several social realist drama serials based on the lives of ordinary people.The Bleasdales live in prescot,liverpool,wales and london.-Early life:Bleasdale is an only child; his father worked in a food factory and his mother...
– playwright - David Burns - rally driver
- Aiden ByrneAiden ByrneAiden Byrne is head chef and owner of The Collingwood, a bar and restaurant in West Kirby. and of The Church Green in Lymm, Cheshire. He also runs the British Grill in the Craxton Wood hotel near Chester....
– youngest ever Michelin Awarded chef - China CrisisChina CrisisChina Crisis is an English pop/rock band. They were formed in 1979 in Kirkby, near Liverpool, Merseyside with a core of vocalist/keyboardist Gary Daly and guitarist Eddie Lundon...
– pop/rock band - Margi ClarkeMargi ClarkeMargi Clarke is a British actress . She was born in Liverpool and raised in Kirkby , and is known for her Scouse accent and platinum-blonde hair.-Early career:...
– actress - Craig Colton – contestant and finalist on The X Factor 2011The X Factor (UK series 8)The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. The eighth series began airing on ITV on 20 August 2011. Louis Walsh is the only judge from the previous series to return, as the other three, Simon Cowell, Dannii Minogue and Cheryl Cole, all left to join other...
- John ContehJohn ContehJohn Conteh is a British former boxer who was world light-heavyweight boxing champion.Conteh is one of Britain's most successful boxing champions. At his peak in the mid to late 1970s he was considered good enough that he was touted as a possible opponent of Muhammad Ali...
– boxer - Stephen GrahamStephen Graham (actor)Stephen Graham is an English actor from Kirkby, Liverpool. He is best known for his roles as Tommy in the movie Snatch, Combo in This Is England and its four-part television sequel This Is England '86, Danny Ferguson in Occupation, Billy Bremner in The Damned United, notorious bank robber Baby...
– actor - Paul HodkinsonPaul HodkinsonPaul Hodkinson aka Hoko is former professional boxer. Hodkinson fought at Featherweight and is the former British, European and World Featherweight Title holder....
– boxer - Jamie JonesJamie Jones (footballer)Jamie Jones is an English footballer who plays for Leyton Orient as a goalkeeper.-Everton:Jones signed his first professional contract with Everton at the beginning of the 2006–07 campaign and made numerous appearances in the reserves team but he suffered a broken hand and had to miss numerous games...
– footballer - Tony Jones – musician – bass player in Christians
- Tony MaudsleyTony MaudsleyTony Maudsley is a British film actor who was cast as Grawp in the film Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. His career started when he landed a role in the film A Life for a Life in 1998 where he played the part of Stefan Kiszko to much acclaim...
– actor - Sharon MaughanSharon MaughanSharon Maughan is a British actress.-Life and career:Maughan was born in Kirkby, Liverpool, one of five siblings in an Irish Catholic family...
– actress - Tricia PenroseTricia PenrosePatricia "Tricia" Penrose is an English actress and singer. She is best known for her role as Gina Ward in ITV1's long-running 1960s drama Heartbeat, a role she played continuously from 1993 to 2010...
– actress - Andrew SchofieldAndrew Schofield-Early life:Born in Kirkby, Merseyside, Schofield attended St Kevin's RC Comprehensive School. At 15 he was cast in Willy Russell's first Play for Today, Death of a Young, Young Man.-Stage:...
– actor - Alan StubbsAlan StubbsAlan Stubbs is a retired English footballer who played as a centre back. He was forced to retire from professional football due to a troublesome knee injury on the 20 August 2008. The final match of his career was against Doncaster Rovers on 9 August 2008...
- footballer - Sean Styles - comedian
- Phil ThompsonPhil ThompsonPhilip Bernard Thompson is a retired English footballer, who played as a defender for Liverpool team of the 1970s and 1980s. During this time, he also represented the England national football team on 42 occasions...
- footballer
Public services
Policing in Kirkby is provided by Merseyside PoliceMerseyside Police
Merseyside Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing Merseyside in North West England. The force area is 647 square kilometres with a population of around 1.5 million...
. The force's Basic Command Unit
Basic Command Unit
A Basic Command Unit is the largest unit into which territorial British Police forces are divided. This may actually be called a BCU or may have another designation, such as Division or Area. There are 228 BCUs in England and Wales.Most forces are divided into at least three BCUs and some have...
in the Knowsley
Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley
The Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley is a metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England. It comprises the towns of Kirkby, Prescot, Huyton, Whiston, Halewood and Cronton; Kirkby, Huyton, and Prescot being the major commercial centres...
borough has a station in Kirkby on St Chad's Drive. Public transport is co-ordinated by the Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive
Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive
The Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive is the Passenger Transport Executive responsible for the coordination of public transport in the metropolitan county of Merseyside, England...
. Statutory emergency fire and rescue service is provided by the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service is the statutory fire and rescue service covering the county of Merseyside in north-west England and is the statutory firefighting and rescue service responsible for all 999 fire brigade calls in Sefton, Knowsley, St. Helens, Liverpool and Wirral.-History:The fire...
, which has a station in Kirkby on Webster Drive.
Waste management
Waste management
Waste management is the collection, transport, processing or disposal,managing and monitoring of waste materials. The term usually relates to materials produced by human activity, and the process is generally undertaken to reduce their effect on health, the environment or aesthetics...
is co-ordinated by the local authority via the Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority
Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority
Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority is a statutory Waste Disposal Authority that manages the municipal solid waste produced in Merseyside, England. MWDA was established in 1986 following the abolition of Merseyside County Council, to undertake the waste disposal for local authorities across...
. Kirkby's Distribution Network Operator
Distribution Network Operator
Distribution network operators are companies licensed to distribute electricity in Great Britain by the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets....
for electricity is United Utilities
United Utilities
United Utilities Group PLC is the UK's largest listed water business. The Group owns and manages the regulated water and waste water network in the north west England, through it subsidiary United Utilities Water PLC , which is responsible for the vast majority of the group's assets and...
. United Utilities also manages Kirkby's drinking and waste water.
Kirkby is served by Knowsley NHS Primary Care Trust. Fazakerley Hospital
Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is an NHS Trust in Liverpool since August 2006. The Trust consists of University Hospital Aintree and Walton Hospital in Walton, Liverpool. In 2009, the Care Quality Commission rated the trust "Good" for the quality of its services and "Excellent"...
is the nearest hospital to Kirkby. There are nine GP
General practitioner
A general practitioner is a medical practitioner who treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education for all ages and both sexes. They have particular skills in treating people with multiple health issues and comorbidities...
surgeries and four dental practices. Ambulance services are provided by the North West Ambulance Service
North West Ambulance Service
The North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust was formed on 1 July 2006 as part of Health Minister Lord Warner's plans to reduce the number of NHS ambulance service trusts operating in the United Kingdom....
with a station based in Kirkby.
The British Telecom Simonswood exchange
Telephone exchange
In the field of telecommunications, a telephone exchange or telephone switch is a system of electronic components that connects telephone calls...
provides local telephone and ADSL internet services to the area, with a number of other companies offering services through local loop unbundling
Local loop unbundling
Local loop unbundling is the regulatory process of allowing multiple telecommunications operators to use connections from the telephone exchange to the customer's premises...
. Virgin Media
Virgin Media
Virgin Media Inc. is a company which provides fixed and mobile telephone, television and broadband internet services to businesses and consumers in the United Kingdom...
services are also available to the town, providing television, telephone and cable internet
Cable internet
In telecommunications, cable Internet access, often shortened to cable Internet or simply cable, is a form of broadband Internet access that uses the cable television infrastructure. Like digital subscriber line and fiber to the premises services, cable Internet access provides network edge...
.
The local BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
radio station is Radio Merseyside and the local ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
franchise holder is Granada Television
Granada Television
Granada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....