Heron Foods confirms date it will move from Hardshaw Centre

As the Star has reported previously, talks have been taking place this year between council chiefs and store bosses over relocation plans ahead of the shopping venue’s demolition.

TJ Hughes, Shoe Zone, Bonmarche and Infinity Occasions have all made the move across town to Church Square Shopping centre.

Chicken barbecue shop Womble Inn has also followed suit, while Alpha News has reopened as a Londis on Church Street.

It leaves just One Below and Heron Foods in the shopping centre, which will close this summer.

Heron on the move

The Star reported earlier this year that Heron was being lined up to move into the former Topshop premises in La Grange Arcade, Church Square Shopping Centre.

This would be nearby the site of a temporary bus station, which is being created at Chalon Way, on a road close to the Range.

READ MORE: Memories and pictures from the Harshaw Centre - looking back on St Helens' shopping centre 

Now Heron has confirmed it is making the move, advertising this will happen on Thursday, July 11 to unit 1 at La Grange Arcade, Market Street, St Helens.

Heron Foods is one of the two remaining stores in the Hardshaw Centre (Image: St Helens Star)

One Below is expected to relocate to the former H & M store, which is also in the shopping arcade.

Demolition work ahead of the first phase £90m transformation of St Helens town centre is expected to start later this year.

Plans include a new market hall flanked by a mixed-use area set around a 120-bedroom hotel, 64 new homes and 10,915 sq ft modern retail space.

The Hardshaw Centre will be flattened as part of the scheme, although the empty former Marks & Spencer building will be retained.

The existing bus station will also be extended and renewed with a new modern interchange to encourage public transport and active travel usage.

St Helens Borough Council is working on a 20-year regeneration plan for the borough with the English Cities Fund, a strategic joint venture between Muse, Legal & General, and Homes England.

Last year a planning inspector ruled in favour of St Helens Council's Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) which will see the Swan pub demolished as part of the regeneration scheme.

A report on the town centre regeneration programme, for the phase 1A “enabling works”, came before the council’s cabinet at its meeting earlier this month.

Demolition - 'wrecking ball'

Cllr Richard McCauley, cabinet member for inclusive growth and regeneration, said “we’ve got all our ducks in a row and we’re ready to go with this”.

He also stated that he would “imagine” that the “wrecking ball” will be out at the “back end of the year, early into the new year”.

In September, the cabinet approved the investment of £69.2 million of council funding to deliver phase 1A of the St Helens town centre regeneration initiative.