Plans for a new Hoylake ‘arts village’ featuring a cinema set to go ahead, despite being hit by the pandemic

Last year, some in Hoylake feared The Beacon Arts Village project had been ditched based on the slow progress of the scheme since the virus broke out. However, the project, which follows a successful application for £3.6m of grant funding from the government's Coastal Communities Fund, is set to be delivered.

Once complete, The Beacon will feature a two-screen cinema, a restaurant, bar and café bistro, as well as 18 creative studio and retail spaces for artists and makers. A plan for 40 homes and commercial units nearby, which will support The Beacon in bringing a new buzz to the town, is also making progress.

Despite worries for leisure industries caused by Covid-19, Dave Burke, director of the developer and owners of The Beacon site, Hylgar Properties, said: "The Beacon is being developed to help inject new life into the town and to deliver sustainable economic growth and job creation.

"Its potential as a transformational project for Hoylake and the Wirral remains. We are still planning to open as soon as possible with our cinema and [food and beverage] partner businesses continuing to be totally committed to the delivery of the project."

Mr Burke said people in Hoylake only needed to look at their own town to get a sense of the problem. He added: "Leisure industries, especially cinemas and restaurants, have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic and are generally performing much lower than pre-Covid levels.

"We only have to look at our own high street where we have unfortunately lost more than one excellent business to know that we must proceed carefully. We are confident, however, that with the right timing and planning we will make a positive impact when open."

As well as Hylgar's development, Torus is moving forward with its plans for commercial units and 40 homes at The Quadrant, a site near to The Beacon. A spokesperson for Torus said: "Torus is currently building The Quadrant in Hoylake which will see 17 commercial units built on the ground floor of the development and a further 40 one and two bedroom apartments built on the four floors above.

"The scheme is due for completion by summer 2023 and apartments will all be available via Affordable Rent, offering future residents the opportunity to live affordably in a central location."