Scale of St Helens regeneration not seen 'since Second World War'

The council’s approved the draft inclusive growth strategy for the borough at its meeting on Wednesday, along with a six-week public consultation on it.

A report to cabinet says the growth strategy recognises the ‘urgent challenges facing the borough now and over the next 15 years’.

However, it also stated that at the same time St Helens is ‘on the brink of an unprecedented level of investment’.

“The incoming pipeline of strategic projects will deliver £500m or more of investment, a once-in-a-generation opportunity to produce a genuine step change to our economy,” it added.

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The growth strategy provides an ‘evidenced and strategically coherent framework’ for addressing the economic challenges and opportunities facing the St Helens economy over the next 15 years.

The council says it has been developed across council directorates, partners and stakeholders – and that it aims to ensure economic opportunities for the entire community, including residents who are currently ‘not economically active or that have barriers to participation’.

Council leader Cllr David Baines described it as ‘excellent’ and ‘everything we talk about’.

“When we talk about regeneration, we’re not just talking about shiny new buildings, we’re talking about the opportunities that are created for people,” he said.

Furthermore, Cllr Baines said there is ‘a lot going on at the moment’ where the council is involved, including the Parkside regeneration plans, Glass Futures, work to bring the Gamble Building back into use and the Town Deal projects.

Gamble Building (Image: St Helens Star)

He added: “This is a scale of regeneration that, I don’t think it’s exaggerated to say, I don’t think our borough’s seen such a scale of regeneration since the Second World War – and myself and Richard McCauley were talking about this the other night and he thinks ever, I would say since the war, I’m not too sure, but we should quantify it in those terms if we can because it is absolutely huge."

Cllr David Baines, leader of St Helens Council (Image: Stock)

Cllr Baines also said: “But it’s not just about new buildings, as I say, it’s about those opportunities that they create for our residents to work in the construction of those things, to benefit from the jobs they create when they are operational, and also it’s the knock-on effect of supply chains, skills, training, education, raising aspiration for our young people, it’s huge and this inclusive growth strategy which is excellent, I encourage everyone to read and have a look at, sets it in stone and makes sure we will do everything we can to make sure as many pounds as possible that we spend stay in this borough.”