Skelmersdale Central

Skelmersdale Central was laid out in the 1960s as the commercial core of the new town in West Lancashire. The plan separates pedestrians from traffic with a network of walkways and underpasses that link the main shopping precinct to civic buildings and the bus interchange. The centre contains clusters of retail units, office space and community venues arranged around a series of roundabouts and service roads. Public spaces sit close to the main thoroughfare, and the pattern of elevated pedestrian routes remains a defining feature of movement through the area.

The central area provides day-to-day services for residents: shops, a library, a leisure centre and health facilities sit within walking distance of housing estates that radiate out from the town heart. Regular bus services run from the interchange to neighbouring towns; the town does not currently have a railway station, and rail proposals have been discussed for years. Local initiatives focus on filling vacant units, supporting small traders and improving links between the precinct and surrounding neighbourhoods.