Everything about Kirkby totally explained
Kirkby (; /ˈkɝbiː/ — the second "k" is silent) is a town in the
Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley,
Merseyside,
England. It is one of the
new towns of the
Liverpool City Region.
History
Kirkby is believed to have been founded circa
870,
although archaeological digs have produced evidence of habitation in the
Bronze Age.
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
Kirkby Urban District was created in 1894. 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 Ordinance 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 Corporation bought the factory, with plans to develop a trading estate on the site. In 1947, the Earl of Sefton sold the Kirkby land to the corporation, who intended to develop the area around the city in an attempt to alleviate the housing shortage caused by
the Blitz, and to provide housing for workers on the burgeoning industrial estate. The town was officially designated a
new town in 1949, and a
district council created in 1957. Large-scale development began in the 1950s, and continued in phases until the late 1970s.
Kirkby served as the basis for the fictional
Newtown, setting of the 1960s
BBC TV series,
Z-Cars.
On
1 April,
1974, the District was abolished and 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. (This was despite the fact that the boy's killers were not from Kirkby, but from the
Walton district of Liverpool.)
Present day
Kirkby is commonly divided into four districts -
Southdene,
Westvale,
Northwood, and
Tower Hill. Its
electoral wards, however, don't coincide with these divisions, and consist of Cherryfield, Kirkby Central, Northwood, Park, Shevington and Whitefield. The
River Alt flows through the extreme south west of the town, with the Kirkby Brook
tributary passing through the centre.
The current population of the town stands at 40,472, somewhat down from its peak in 1961 of 52,207, 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 flats and
maisonettes - built during the 1960s, but fallen into disrepair - on a town-wide basis, and the resultant need for replacement housing stock.
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.
Regeneration efforts
Kirby 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 addition, an extensive overhaul of primary and secondary education provision in Knowsley will see all three of Kirkby's secondary schools closing by the end of the 2008-2009 school year, being replaced by three new Learning Centres.
there is a common misconception that because of the proposed
Everton FC and
Tesco development will replace a Learning Centre on the All Saints' site but there was only ever two learning centres planned. Public response to this development has been mixed.
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.
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 didn't want a football ground.
It is claimed that a majority support regeneration in general but isn't 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's an alternative scheme where an
ASDA will be built in Kirkby that's generating a better public response.
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, which according to local reports, the
Chief Executive of Knowsley tried to stop, 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 isn't clear as to support for or opposition to the proposals for a Tesco/Everton FC development.
Transport links
The
M57 motorway runs adjacent to Kirkby, and the
M58 connects just to the north of the town. Other major routes include the
A580 East Lancashire Road and the
A506. The area is well served by public transport, with train connections from
Kirkby railway station to
Liverpool (on the
Merseyrail Northern Line) and
Manchester (via
Wigan, on the
Kirkby Branch Line).
Stagecoach Merseyside provide the vast majority of bus routes in Kikrby 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.
Notable people
Many professional
footballers hail from Kirkby:
Leighton Baines - current Everton player, former Wigan Athletic player
Phil Boersma - former Liverpool player
Tommy Caton - former Manchester City, Arsenal, Oxford United player
Paul Cook - former Southport manager, former Wigan Athletic and Tranmere Rovers player
Terry McDermott - former Liverpool player, current Newcastle United first team coach
Dennis Mortimer - former Aston Villa player
Kevin Nolan - current Bolton Wanderers player
Jimmy Redfern - former Bolton Wanderers and Chester City player
Alan Stubbs - current Derby County player, former Everton Celtic and Bolton Wanderers player
Ryan Taylor - current Wigan Athletic player, former Tranmere Rovers player
Phil Thompson - former Liverpool player and deputy manager.
Mike Marsh - Liverpool and West Ham United playerFurther Information
Get more info on 'Kirkby'.
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