Community groups invited to join celebrations as Skelmersdale's Tawd Valley Centre nears completion

• Community groups to join dignitaries and council officials for completion 'ceremony'
• Mayor will lay final paving stone of the project
• Project completion part of ambitious plans for the Borough

On June 10, representatives from local community groups are being invited to join the Mayor, local MP Rosie Cooper and Leader of the Council, Councillor Yvonne Gagen, to mark the opening of the eagerly-awaited Tawd Valley Centre.

The Mayor, Councillor Mrs. Marilyn Westley, will also have the honour of laying the final paving stone to officially mark the completion of the project.

Councillor Yvonne Gagen, Leader of West Lancashire Borough Council, said: "I'm really looking forward to what will be a momentous day for Skelmersdale and its communities.

"Bringing economic and social benefits to the whole Borough has been the focus of this project from the beginning, and I'm delighted that communities will be there with many of the people who have made this project possible to officially open the development.

"This isn’t just about new shops - it's about setting out our future ambitions for the Borough too. The Tawd Valley Centre is just one of the schemes the Council are delivering to make a real difference to our communities with plans including two new Health & Wellbeing Hubs in Skelmersdale and Ormskirk as well as an upgrade to the facilities at Burscough Racquet and Fitness Centre."

Major retail brands B&M Bargains and Lidl will open their stores on 8 and 9 June respectively and talks with a third retailer are in the final stages. The area adjacent to the retail park has been upgraded to include a fantastic new play area in Tawd Valley Park which will also open imminently, and a new high street now links West Lancashire College with the rest of the town centre.

Improvements will also be made to the public areas outside Skelmersdale Library to make them more attractive spaces for residents.

The town centre redevelopment scheme has been a partnership between the Borough Council and developer St. Modwen, supported by the Lancashire Local Enterprise Partnership. Construction partners for the project have been Caddick Construction.