Councillor bemoans lack of progress with St Helens regeneration

Labour councillor Dennis McDonnell raised the concerns during a meeting of St Helens Borough Council’s overview and scrutiny commission this week.

On Wednesday, the commission received an update from Rob Huntington, the council’s assistant chief executive, on the council’s reset and recovery plans.

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Following the presentation, Cllr McDonnell questioned whether the Covid-19 pandemic had impacted the regeneration plans announced in January, when the council entered into a 20-year partnership with the English Cities Fund.

The Billinge and Seneley Green councillor said “nothing can be seen happening on the ground” in St Helens town centre, and pleaded with the council’s assistant chief executive to make something happen.

Cllr McDonnell said: “In January it was announced that rebuilding the town centre is to go ahead.

“So, where are we up to with this? Nothing can be seen happening on the ground. So, has Covid had an impact on the project?

“I mean, people do need to see there’s hope and there is actually something happening. And we have an opportunity to build back better and help the economy, and employment.

“This really needs to be developed because we do need building projects such as this to regenerate the centre, to give our people hope.

“But please can we see something happening? Can we see something being done to give people this hope? It needs to be done.

“Build back better is what we need to be doing.”

Dennis McDonnell, Labour councillor for Billinge and Seneley Green

Mr Huntington said the council is currently developing an economic recovery plan, which is due to be completed by the end of this month.

He said progress on the council’s key regeneration programmes, including the regeneration of St Helens town centre and the Gamble Building, will be detailed in the economic recovery plan.

“As part of our economic recovery, what is being developed and is due to be finalised towards the end of this month – and is in line with the city region economic recovery plan – is a St Helens economic recovery plan,” Mr Huntington said.

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“And what that will outline is, what are our plans around continuing or reimaging the regeneration that needs to happen in the town centre, because that offer is very different now.

“The town centre offer around retail is probably very different to what it used to be. So, what will that look like?

“And actually that will be detailed in the economic recovery plan, as well as some of the wider issues that I’ve mentioned in the presentation, specifically around the progress or the detail around those key regeneration programmes that I’ve highlighted.”