EACH project in the town centre's regeneration plans is a necessary and requested part of plans to deliver transformative change, the council say.
As previously reported by the Star, St Helens Council has partnered with The English Cities Fund to deliver "once in a lifetime" regeneration plans and bring new homes, offices, retail space, a market hall, and a hotel into a new look town centre.
As the controversial Compulsory Purchase Order to demolish the Swan pub was approved following a public inquiry last month, the regeneration plans are on course to begin with the demolition of the Hardshaw Centre at the end of the year.
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At the public inquiry, Sean Traynor, Director of Strategic Growth at St Helens Council, explained that the council repeatedly heard an approach of "you build it, we'll use it" from companies and entrepreneurs when consulting on its regeneration proposals.
The proposals have been described as a "passion project" by those behind the plans, with an emphasis on its "St Helens-ness", but given the degree of scepticism from some members of the public, the Star has looked into each proposal put forward in the first phase of regeneration.
Homes
Designed to bring more people into the town centre to boost footfall and spending, a host of new townhouses and apartments are included in the first phase of regeneration plans.
Eight townhouses are planned to be constructed along Hall Street, mirroring similar properties on Hall Street and George Street Quarter.
56 apartments are also planned to be constructed in the town centre, with aims to build a total of 423 residential units in the long-term plans.
Market hall
A "vibrant and energetic" market hall is one of the main focuses of the town centre plans to boost the local economy.
A 7,854 square meter area of retail, leisure, food and drink space is planned to be constructed on the corner of Church Street and Hall Street, with the opportunity for "spill out space" onto Church Square.
Built to reflect the town's orginial market constructed in 1850, the new market hall will feature approximately 23 stalls, food and beverage outlets, a bar and performance area.
An outdoor "rain garden" and "play space" are proposed to open out to Hall Street, which could include shrubs, flowers, see-saws and trampolines.
There will also be a range of other amenities at the market hall to encourage and cater for visitors through the daytime and evenings.
Office space
With no 'Grade A' office space in St Helens town centre, the construction of "high quality employment space" is another main focus of regeneration planners.
£20.2 million is projected to be spent on the construction of office space, which will see a five floors building built with a "rooftop terrace and breakout social spaces".
Planned to be built on Bickerstaffe Street, the aim is to bring a range of high quality employers into the town centre.
Hotel
Perhaps the most controversial part of the regeneration plans, a six-storey 155-bed hotel will be constructed along Bickerstaffe Street.
Although not all residents are convinced with the plans to build a new hotel in the town centre, with the Mercure Hotel situated on St Helens Linkway, the council said that an additional location is a "key component" of its regeneration plans.
The "convenient, high quality [...] luxurious" hotel will include a breakfast bar, restaurant, workspace, and a range of accessible rooms, which will showcase "the very best that our town has to offer".
Demand studies have evidenced the need for an additional hotel in the town centre, the council say, with international companies requesting "high quality accommodation for corporate visitors, with a focus on including bespoke facilities for extended stays".
The council also say that there has been a "great deal of interest" from global hotel brands to take on the project.
Retail space
With the Hardshaw Centre set to be demolished at the end of the year, many businesses have already made the switch to Church Square shopping centre, with the reasoning to create one full shopping centre rather than two half-empty ones.
Small to medium-sized retail and leisure units are also proposed to be constructed on the newly-created New Market Street, which will lie where the Hardshaw Centre used to stand.
There will also be the provision of small-scale retail kiosks to provide the opportunity for "independents and start-ups to occupy space within the heart of the town centre", the council's masterplan states.
Bus station
Aiming to transport visitors into a new look town centre, a new and improved bus station is also a main focus of the council's regeneration plans.
The bus station proposals proved controversial as it facilitated the deomolotion of the Swan pub, but it was suggested at the public inquiry that it would be "extremely challenging if not impossible" to achieve transformative regeneration without doing so.
With the Swan pub and former Town Fryer chippy retained following the development of St Helens bus station in the 1990s, this is said to have created a "constrained and challenging" station that is a challenge for pedestrians to navigate safely.
There was also said to be "operational inefficiencies and safety issues" at the current site, which would not be able to accommodate carbon net zero goals or the growth that additional homes and offices would bring.
With the council currently looking at locations to house a temporary bus station, approximately £10.7m will be spent on replacing the town's new station on Bickerstaffe Street, which will be part-funded by the Liverpool City Region.
How will this be funded?
As previously reported, the first phase of town centre regeneration plans are estimated to cost an eye-watering £94.8m.
This has been worked out from a proposed £81m construction bill and £13.8m in estimated acquisition costs, i.e. purchasing the necessary land to proceed with the council's proposals.
In order to fund these ambitious projects, St Helens Council has allocated £72.42m from its Medium Term budget strategy, underpinned by loans from the Public Works Loan Board.
£7.24m will come out of the 'Town Centre Living and Regernation' section of the Government's £25m Towns Deal fund, which will help to construct accommodation and retail space.
£3.25m will also be used from the 'Connected Places' section of the Towns Deal funding, to contribute towards the new bus station and public realm upgrades.
Another £800k has been earmarked through the One Public Estate Brownfield Land Release Fund to assist with reviving town centre brownfield sites.
When will the plans begin?
Following the relocation of all Hardshaw Centre businesses, the first phase of regeneration is planned to take place with the demolition of the shopping centre at the end of this year.
Following the shopping centre's destruction, construction and infrastructure work will then begin in Spring 2024.
If everything goes to plan, it is expected that the first phase of regeneration will be completed in 2025.
The second phase of regeneration will begin in 2025/26 with the demolition of St Mary's Arcade and associated car park, to be replaced by residential developments such as townhouses and apartments.
Planning permission has been granted for phase one of the regeneration plans, while a reserved matters planning application, setting out the finer details of phase one, is expected to be submitted later this year.
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