THE closure of several nighttime venues in St Helens has been a concern for residents and the town's remaining bar and club owners.
In recent months, a number of popular venues have closed around St Helens such as the Running Horses and the Duke, with the latter's licence revoked in January following a series of criminal offences.
These closures followed licences being revoked at Mollie's Bar in 2022 and Breeze Bar in 2020, while the bright new nightclub Kingdom, which replaced the former Circus, Punch Tarmey's, and Zoo Bar, also shut its doors just weeks after opening.
Further afield, venues such as the Ship Inn closed its doors after decades of trading in Blackbrook and the Clock Face Hotel will soon close after a similar history in St Helens.
Going back further in time, there has been the loss of more cherished clubs in St Helens, such as Park Lane, Crystals, Cindy's, Lowies, Martines, Reflections, Appleby's, Nexus and the Plaza.
And although many residents have fond memories of a thriving nightlife along Duke Street, Westfield Street, and Bridge Street, concerns have been raised at the number of venues that have closed in recent years.
Others have highlighted the worry that multiple dispersal zones have been enforced in the town centre, despite St Helens holding a Purple Flag status as being a safe place for a night out.
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Declining footfall and safety concerns
With several venues closing their doors in recent years, it is understood that footfall is not what it once was in St Helens and bars have struggled to survive with the combination of rising beer and electricity prices alongside a decline in custom.
With the hospitality industry hit hard by covid restrictions and lingering uncertainties, several business owners have stated that customer habits have changed since the stop-start difficulties of the pandemic.
Many customers who may have previously gone for a night out in St Helens are believed to be travelling to Liverpool or Manchester, or staying in their local area, and others have expressed safety concerns about anti-social behaviour in the town centre.
Merseyside Police has enforced multiple dispersal zones because of anti-social behaviour concerns in the town centre, while other serious incidents including a stabbing and weapons being brandished have been reported also.
Closures a 'worry' for remaining bar owners
One of the reasons for the closures of bars and clubs in recent years is inevitably a decline in footfall, which has caused concern amongst the remaining venue owners in St Helens.
Paul Whittaker, owner of the Tank micro-bar on Westfield Street, relayed his concerns about the closures and current nightlife trends.
Paul, who has owned Tank for the past decade, said: "I've seen many bars come and go on Westfield Street and it's always a shame to see a business struggle.
"I think they're not doing anything that makes them different from each other, and that's why I think that's why most people shift to Duke Street because you've great pubs and bars with restaurants and the odd take away, it's a good mix.
"Westfield Street is [mostly] takeaways and clubs and I think there's a lack of footfall until later of a night, at around 12am when places are open until 3 and 5am.
"It is hard trying to run a business when you have such a short window in the week to make the money to cover your costs and overheads, and it is a worry when places shut for me personally.
"I've seen Zoo Bar, Java, and the Running Horses all close and these venues all had an impact on how people travelled round town."
People 'starting to embrace night life again'
During the pandemic, Tank particularly struggled as it was often unable to open due to covid restrictions and its inability to abide by social distancing due to its intimate setting.
This was a major hit on the bar that had become well respected for its variety of beers and its live music and comedy events.
Unfortunately, struggles have continued at the business as Paul and the team have tried to balance the rising electricity and beer costs while keeping their prices reasonable.
However, despite the struggles that has faced the bar and the wider hospitality industry, Paul is cautiously optimistic that people are "starting to embrace the night life again" after the pandemic and cost of living crisis.
"Business has improved recently and people are starting to embrace the night life again after the classic January blues and cost of living crisis", he added.
"I think people do want to come back out and if you go to Liverpool and Manchester, they are both busy and full of bars, clubs and restaurants.
"Online posts about St Helens are usually filled with negativity about 'more bars, cafes or coffee shops', suggesting that we don't need more and we need shops.
"I'd love to see some more shops return and some more eateries open, but town centres now are becoming hospitality hubs, especially with all the shopping venues on retail parks in St Helens."
With Paul also opening a Tank bar in Ormskirk last year, he said that his plan for the Westfield Street venue is to keep doing what they have always done to attract customers and regulars, with the hope of bringing back the bar's live music events.
He also suggested that free parking and a connection of similar neighbouring venues would encourage more people back into St Helens and provide a boost to the town's nightlife.
Paul, who recently had his first son, added: "My plans for St Helens is to just keep going, we've done 10 years now and Tank has done 13 in total since it first opened.
"That's a lot to be said for a little bar that comes under a lot of criticism sometimes for being different. But what we do works and everyone is welcome."
Mix of venues still offering vibrant nightlife
Although there have been changes in going out habits and a reduction in venues since the 'Duke Street shuffle' heyday, there is still a healthy mix of bars and clubs around Duke Street, Westfield Street, and the wider town centre, which cater for a range of tastes.
In addition to Tank, there is the trendy Cinema Bar and Newsroom at the top end of Duke Street, which focuses on premium drinks and cocktails, followed by the more traditional New Talbot Alehouse a couple of doors down.
A little further down Duke Street, you have Perry's Bar, which has become one of St Helens' karaoke hotspots over the years, as well as the Green Room and Ice Bar, which has been a popular spot for live sports and a night out over the past two decades.
While there has been struggles in hospitality since the pandemic and cost of living crisis, there has been investment in the town's nightlife in recent years, with the Brickhouse Tavern transforming the former Bruno’s Rodizio and showcasing a range of live music and tribute acts.
There has similar investment to transform Kandy Klub into the new Maloneys bar on Westfield Street, situated a little up the road from other nighttime offers such as Empire, Wobs, and Dreem.
Imperial Quarter has also enjoyed busy spells since its launch on Brook Street in 2022, while one of town's most popular venues, Imperial nightclub, which brings live music, DJs, and special guests across multiple floors, has enjoyed a positive response since its refurb last year.
There is also a vibrant live music offer at the Citadel on Waterloo Street, as well as traditional pubs that offer a welcoming atmosphere and live entertainment such as the Sefton, the Swan, and the Market Tavern.
The Little George Quarter is another business that has become popular as an intimate venue along George Street.
Decline in criminality since Duke closure
After St Helens earned a Purple Flag status in 2022, Merseyside Police said it continues to work alongside St Helens Council and local bar owners to ensure that the town retains its status a safe place to visit.
Although enforcement action was taken on the Duke earlier this year, police say that the number of criminal incidents has reduced since its closure.
Officers added that several measures are undertaken to ensure that the town is a safe place to enjoy a night out, such as nighttime patrols, collaboration with business owners, and dispersal zones to cut down on anti-social behaviour.
Local bars and clubs are also part of the national Ask Angela campaign, which provides safe spaces for customers to combat violence against women and girls.
Police 'want people to have a safe and enjoyable' night out
Local Policing Inspector Stacey Pope said: “We want people to have a safe and enjoyable occasion whenever they visit the pubs, bars and restaurants in St Helens and we hope that they have a memorable night for all the right reasons.
“St Helens has rightly earned Purple Flag status, which recognises the town as being a safe place for people to visit and enjoy a good night out. We are determined to keep this status so that more and more people are able to come and experience all that St Helens has to offer.
“The majority of clubs and pubs in the city centre work closely with Merseyside Police and manage their venues in a responsible way, contributing greatly to maintaining the town's reputation as a great place to visit.
“Although we encourage visitors to come and enjoy themselves, we will not hesitate to act if offences are committed by individuals or business owners.
“In January, it was announced that The Duke pub had been closed down after we requested a review of its licence following multiple reports of criminal activity at the premises.
“In the aftermath of the closure, we noticed a reduction of criminal incidents. This is just one measure we can take to reduce crime in the town centre and we hope this sends a clear message to any other licensed premises that robust action will be taken when issues arise.
“Other action taken recently includes Dispersal Zones implemented in St Helens town centre following increased reports of youths causing anti-social behaviour over the last two weekends. This has given us the additional power to direct people away from the area who are engaging in ASB or are likely to become involved in such incidents.
“We are also working closely with local youth clubs and other partners that offer activities for younger people. These venues offer an engaging place for younger people to attend and means they are less likely to hang around the streets.
"These initiatives, plus many more, will be helped through funding and we have given thousands of pounds to local projects focusing on the town centre. This funding is made possible thanks to money seized from criminals under the Proceeds of Crime Act, which is then given to community-orientated initiatives that are hugely beneficial to the town.
“In terms of policing the town centre, we continue to have a robust and proactive plan in place to protect vulnerable people, identify potential offenders and support victims as well as provide a visible and reassuring presence in the town.
“Officers routinely patrol the town centre during weekends and we would encourage anyone who has concerns to speak to officers and report incidents knowing that they will be taken seriously.”
Council aim to 'build positively' from Purple Flag status
Councillor Kate Groucutt, Cabinet Member for Economy, Business and Skills, said: “We recognise the important contribution that pubs, bars, clubs and restaurants offer to the local economy across St Helens Borough.
"They help make our towns and villages vibrant and enjoyable places to live, and that is down to the hard work of those who run and work in them.
"We have a fantastic range of both independent and national businesses that are offering food, drink and entertainment to residents and visitors, and their continued investment in our borough even through the Covid-19 pandemic and the cost of living crisis should be applauded.
"We've recently established a Night Time Economy Forum for St Helens Town Centre which brings together licensing and other council services, Merseyside Police as well as venues and taxi operators. We work together to ensure that venues are safe, comply with all regulations and can collaborate on key events.
"St Helens town centre currently has Purple Flag status after meeting the standards of excellence in managing the evening and night-time economy, we are determined to build positively on this momentum.
"We recently secured funding through the St Helens Community Safety Partnership and national Safer Streets initiative to prioritise the safety of night-time economy visitors and staff alike.
"As we move closer to our hugely exciting once-in-a-lifetime town centre regeneration plans for St Helens and Earlestown, we will welcome and support new ventures that want to add to a quality hospitality offer, while continuing to take action against those that fall foul of our standards, to ensure visits here are safe and enjoyable for all."
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