St Helens: What is happening with The Foundry 'box park'?

As reported by the Star, St Helens Council announced that it was looking for a 'box park' style contractor in October 2021 and it agreed to a £1 million deal with Steel Life Group Ltd in February 2022.

With the Steel Life development proposing to install 51 shipping containers around Chalon Way West, to create a multi-use venue that could include food, drink, and retail stalls, the project was granted planning permission for up to seven years in July 2022.

However, while the delivery of shipping containers show some signs of development, the site does not look anywhere near completion, more than two years after planning permission was agreed.

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Who are Steel Life Group?

The first shipping containers arrived on site around a year ago (Image: St Helens Star) Steel Life Group is a limited company that was incorporated in April 2021, with a registered office in Poole, Dorset.

Although the council agreed to the deal in February 2022, there is no evidence of this limited company completing a similar 'box park' style project.

The company acquired planning permission from Birmingham City Council in April 2022 to create a similar mixed-use venue ahead of the Commonwealth Games that summer.

However, with the Commonwealth Games coming and going, the Perry Barr 'Steel Life Park' development has still not been finished.

One of the former directors at Steel Life Group Ltd, Mark Sanderson, was also the director of Steelyard Kelham Ltd, which successfully delivered a shipping container park in Kelham, Sheffield, in 2019.

Steel Yard Kelham was also chosen as the developer for a shipping container venue in Sheffield city centre, until it was scrapped following a series of delays.

Mark Sanderson has since resigned from both Steelyard Kelham Ltd and Steel Life Group Ltd.

What has caused delays in St Helens?

Steel Life has blamed delays on structural and financial issues (Image: St Helens Star) In previous statements to the Star, Steel Life has blamed "unavoidable delays" on "ground conditions and utility connections". Delays have also been blamed on the "cost of living crisis and structural issues".

After the Star asked for further updates last week, the company said that "construction and compliance [of the project] is as equally complex as [the] build structure" due to its seven-year planning lease, temporary 'accommodation' structure, and anticipated volume of visitors.

A spokesperson for Steel Life said: "Anticipated volume of visitors [at The Foundry] warrants in-depth reports, surveys, and liaison with a host of authorities.

"To illustrate, we are still awaiting sanction to connect to the United Utilities drainage. The multitude of reports needed by our designated professionals, architects, engineers, [and] civil engineering contractors can be delayed by availability scheduling in other work."

The spokesperson also said there has been an "unanticipated delay to a collation of professional design requirements" in the construction phase of the project, while referral support from St Helens Chamber is also said to have impacted the project after the company fell into administration.

Where is the project up to?

The first shipping containers arrived on site around a year ago (Image: St Helens Star) As can be evidenced around Chalon Way West, there are several shipping containers primed for Phase One of the Foundry, although some of these arrived around 12 months ago.

Yet with drainage works still needing to be completed, this is causing further delays to the fitting of the containers, although contractors are reported to have been nominated to carry these works out.

Additionally, further complications have been caused by reports of homeless people using the empty shipping containers for shelter. 

While fences and CCTV are in place, Steel Life said that its security firm removed on-site security due to "traveller encampments" and damage caused in Perry Barr. Steel Life said it is working with the council to manage security at the site.

Litter inside the containers (Image: St Helens Star) Meanwhile, with Phase Two planning to offer a further 22 units in the town centre, Steel Life says that there has been "overwhelming interest" in the St Helens project.

The company states that there have been "more than 60 expressions of interest" in The Foundry, ranging from "established St Helens business outlets seeking to relocate, [to] entrepreneurs and niche marketeers."

What is the timeline and could there be further delays?

Construction of the Foundry may now take place alongside construction of the temporary bus station along Chalon Way West (Image: St Helens Star) With contractors "primed" for the fitting out of containers, Steel Life believes that phase one of the project could be up and running in a matter of weeks.

Steel Life also said that St Helens "has been prioritised [over Perry Barr] due to its scale and imminent dependency for relocation of traders". 

And while there have been some concerns about the upcoming construction of the temporary bus station, also on Chalon Way West, Steel Life says that it is "satisfied that there are no conflicts or do these works have an impact on our programme".

Council engaging 'constructively' with Steel Life

A CGI of the proposed Foundry plans, released in 2022 (Image: Steel Life Group) Speaking about the Foundry project, a St Helens Council spokesperson said: “We continue to engage constructively with Steel Life over the progression of their ‘The Foundry St Helens’ development, understanding the technical delivery difficulties being experienced that they are actively seeking to resolve to realise their exciting proposition, which will add to the vibrancy of the town centre.

“Work to construct the temporary bus hub in close proximity has not, and will not, adversely affect The Foundry St Helens development. Indeed, by increasing footfall in this area of the town centre, the temporary bus hub should boost the development opportunity."