THE ongoing work to rebuild community shops at a site in place of former premises which were ravaged by a fire has been welcomed.
The community shops on Wythburn Crescent, Carr Mill were irreparably damaged in November 2018, following an attempted break-in that resulted in a fire.
MP for St Helens North, Conor McGinn and Moss Bank ward councillors Trisha Long and Tracy Dickinson were welcomed to the site by North West growth and regeneration group Torus.
The rebuild, which started in March this year, coincides with the structural improvement works by Torus on the parade of shops on Bassenthwaite Avenue on the Moss Bank estate, which also received a visit.
Talking about the works across both sets of shops, Torus Group's head of asset management, Mike Austin, said: “Investing in communities is a central focus for Torus, our investment isn’t just financial, it’s emotional.
“We appreciated how much the residents in Moss Bank depended on the shops and we were determined to find a solution that would benefit the local community and local businesses alike.
“Unfortunately, both projects have seen delays and increased costs. Covid has caused rising construction prices and building materials shortages across the whole building sector.
“Despite these hurdles, getting these projects underway was a priority to Torus and we are now thrilled to be finally on-site and able to return these much-valued shops back to the shop owners and local people and would like to say a big thank you to the community, the MP and local councillors for all their support throughout the process.”
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Throughout the developments, Torus says it has kept in regular contact with commercial tenants and the four new shops on Wythburn will see the return of the Pizza and Chinese takeaways, with Thrifty’s also returning.
The shops on Bassenthwaite, which are remaining open as much as possible throughout their improvement works, include Toast to Roast Café, Tanzania - Sunbed & Beauty Studio, Ste’s Barbers, Treasure of China Chinese Takeaway, Four Seasons General Store and Hollowood Chemist.
St Helens North MP Conor McGinn said: “The parade of shops at Wythburn Crescent and Bassenthwaite Avenue are a focal point and at the heart of the Moss Bank community. The commitment from Torus to rebuild and restore, respectively, these two important sites is welcome and I am hopeful that the progress made will soon see local people once again able to access the things they need in the place they live.”
Cllr Trisha Long, who has been involved in the projects since the beginning, added: “I am really glad that good progress is being made on both sites, with the new shops going up on Wythburn and the improvement works on Bassenthwaite. The shops are much-needed by local residents, and I would like to thank Torus for the investment in this community.”
Construction firm, HMS, has been appointed to complete the rebuild and improvement works on the shops.
The rebuild of the shops on Wythburn is using low maintenance materials, to give long-term durability as well as providing aesthetic appeal which doesn’t detract from the existing area.
The finished scheme will also benefit from additional safety measures and provide much more flexible and future-proof commercial spaces.
The rebuild of the Wythburn shops is anticipated to finish in autumn 2022, with the improvement works to Bassenthwaite shops due to be completed later in the year.
Anyone interested in a commercial unit owned by Torus should email commercial.property@torus.co.uk.
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