COUNCIL bosses have expressed disappointment after two more independent businesses closed their doors in St Helens town centre and stressed that the long-term regeneration plans are “more important than ever”.

Last month the Star reported how Two Brothers coffee shop was closing its doors just over a year after it opened in the ‘Globe’ building on Ormskirk Street. The family-run chain had enjoyed success with branches in Altrincham and Warrington.

With a focus on speciality coffee, their launch was a hit with coffee lovers although some residents questioned the opening of another coffee shop in the town centre.

However, after just more than 12 months in the town centre, the Two Brothers team announced they were leaving the Ormskirk Street premises earlier this month.

They cited financial difficulties as the reason for closing, but will continue to maintain a presence in St Helens and remain inside the Book Stop on Bridge Street, inside which they opened a small cafe.

The closure follows other businesses leaving the town centre, such as Phoenix Plat Based Eatery which moved to Prescot following two different moves to venues across the town centre.

Announcing the news in September via their Facebook page, they said: “Firstly we've been loyal to our Town since starting the ‘Phoenix‘ in 2015. I doubt many businesses could have survived what we've endured during the last 7 years.

“Our Landlords are aware of the pressure we are under and have offered us a life line to stay on but the issue of the declining footfall due to a town undergoing a regeneration might not work in our favour.

“Secondly we thought Prescot wasn't too far away.”

There have been positives for St Helen, with the Imperial Food & Drink Quarter, opening in the town centre last weekend.

There have been other openings too, with Nike and Starbucks Drive-Thru opening up on Ravenhead Retail Park and Planet Doughnut and German Donor Kebab launching on Highpoint Retail Park in the past few months.

But with three retail parks on the edge of St Helens, there are those that question the impact the growing shopping and leisure venues are having on the traditional town centre.

It has led Star readers to ask what the council is going to do in the short term over the decline in footfall in the town centre, particularly, in the face of the cost-of-living crisis which is hitting consumer spending.

Councillor Kate Groucutt, St Helens Borough Council’s cabinet member for economy, business and skills, said: “It’s always disappointing to lose independent businesses which have provide a unique offer in our town centre. “The past few years have been incredibly hard for businesses due to the impact of the global pandemic and more recently with the energy crisis.

“We provided support through this period, ranging from various grant funding streams to initiatives like shop local campaigns and Business Advocates, a free resource for independent traders as part of our Economic Reset and Recovery Strategy.

“Businesses are now facing the challenge of the economic and cost-of-living crisis, coupled with the continued shift in the retail landscape within our town centres.

“It's therefore more important than ever that we push ahead with our ambitious regeneration plans, transforming the town centre into a mix of business, leisure and high-quality residential properties, with a focus on smaller, more independent retailers.

“We will also seek to ensure that our role as the Liverpool City Region’s Borough of Culture for 2023 and our UK Shared Prosperity Fund allocations provide further support to our businesses by encouraging greater footfall in our town centres.

She added that with developments like Imperial Quarter open, they will remain confident that the future of St Helens town centre is a bright one.

The first phase of the St Helens Town Centre Masterplan includes building high-spec sustainable offices, an internationally-branded hotel, family homes and a new market hall.

Shops and landscaped public spaces will also be included.