Town centre masterplans for Earlestown and St Helens approved

Councillors have signed off on masterplans for the transformation of Earlestown and St Helen’s town centres.

St Helens Borough Council and its regeneration partner The English Cities Fund (ECF) launched draft Masterplan Development Frameworks for the regeneration of the two town centres in November last year, gathering feedback on the plans from businesses, residents and visitors.

Welcoming the decision Cllr Richard McCauley, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Planning, said: ‘This is a huge step forward for our borough and as a Cabinet we are delighted that the plans have had the backing from the public. It shows that businesses, residents and visitors are ready for us to get to work in transforming Earlestown and St Helens town centres.

‘Now our focus is on putting forward the planning applications for the first phase of each project, which will be submitted in the coming months, so that the much-needed transformation of these town centres can start as soon as possible. We are also advancing discussions with our ECF partners to ensure that local employment and supply chain opportunities are maximised for our residents and businesses during the construction phase in accordance with our inclusive growth commitments.

‘We will provide regular updates on progress in the coming weeks and months, as I’m sure that all our communities are eager to stay involved and, like me, cannot wait to see our shared vision become reality.’

The first phase in St Helens town centre will include a new bus station and market hall, new office space and homes, an international hotel brand and extensive public realm improvements.

The first phase of works in Earlestown will include enhancing the market square with a partially covered area, events space and landscaping, and improving key high streets between the rail station and Market Square to make the environment more pedestrian-friendly and support local business.

Leon Guyett, Development Director at ECF, added: ‘It’s fantastic to reach this significant milestone in our partnership with St Helens Council, as we receive Cabinet approval on our proposals to breathe new life into the town centres of St Helens and Earlestown.

‘It was great to speak to many members of the community, which has informed the masterplan as it stands. We look forward to continuing on with the delivery stage of our partnership, as part of our collective commitment to delivering place-changing, sustainable regeneration that will drive direct benefits to all areas of the borough.’

In related news, plans for Northstowe, the largest new town since Milton Keynes, have taken a major step forward with Homes England securing £123.9m to deliver new infrastructure and planning approval for 4,000 new homes.

Photo supplied by St Helens Borough Council