Developer unveils Nicholson Plaza project in St Helens town centre

The Nicholson Group is transforming a building on Barrow Street which previously housed offices.

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Called Nicholson Plaza, the development is the latest project to be delivered by the Liverpool-based group. It includes a striking façade with twelve one-bedroom apartments.

Once complete next year, the development will include a private rooftop terrace.

Managing director Paul Nicholson believes the development can form the centrepiece of a new St Helens neighbourhood that regeneration plans have labelled the "professional quarter".

The future of St Helens town centre remains a huge talking point, with the number of empty properties and units for let or sale having grown following the growth of online shopping and edge of town retail parks.

St Helens Council, which bought Church Square Shopping Centre, says it has long-term plans to reconfigure the town centre but many of the empty buildings remain in the hands of private businesses and it is likely to be down to investors and entrepreneurs to reshape the purpose of these properties.

As reported by the Star, a number of other planning applications by various developers have been drawn up for residential developments in the town centre, including the floors above the former WH Smith store and the former Cafe Chloe bar.

Although traditionalists yearn for the days when a large number of shops thrived in the town centre, there is a school of thought building that a transformation will be driven by residential development, independent shops and food and drinks venues. 

Mr Nicholson, who converted the previously empty Tyrers building on Bridge Street, has also purchased the Beechams Clock Tower Building, which cash-strapped St Helens College wanted to offload.

He plans to turn that building – one of St Helens' most iconic and cherished buildings – into apartments, something which has caused considerable debate among Star readers. 

Paul Nicholson outside the Beechams Building

Mr Nicholson believes the development on Barrow Street demonstrates the changing nature of town centres.

“The town centre needs to encourage and embrace change," he added.

"It needs to see that reinvention is the way forward, it’ll be a place to live and play and not just to shop anymore.

"We need to encourage vibrancy and an eclectic array of restaurants and bars at the correct market level, professionals with disposable income."

He added: “We have started the next phase of the development which will also see the first of its kind ‘private’ rooftop terrace and also a new leisure operation potentially coming to market.

“We are hoping that by early 2020, we will have completed our vision having created St Helens’ signature residence and a project that started off as a pipeline vision just two and a half years ago to reality, and the start of a real transformation in the town.”