AN ambitious blueprint for the future including proposals to transform St Helens' tourism and leisure industry and potentially sparking hundreds of new jobs in town has been published by business leaders.

The ideas are part of a ten-year action plan set out in St Helens' City Growth Strategy, which promotes ways to generate economic growth by attracting £300m worth of investment to the borough.

Suggestions include creating a massive multipurpose sports complex, turning Sherdley Park into a major outdoor events venue, and building a Kew Gardens of the North - a £90 million attraction to rival the Eden Project, in Cornwall.

Restoring Sankey Canal and building a new link with the national canal network is also suggested, as is developing Carr Mill Dam into a water sports venue. Developments would need planning approval and investment from the public and private sector. If they go ahead it could spell hundreds of new jobs to the town.

The £60m 'Destination St Helens - Sports and Leisure Village' would be built by a private developer. Potentially the complex could host a range of activities, like skiing, rock climbing, skateboarding, indoor football and ice-skating.

Council bosses have commissioned studies to examine the feasibility of Sherdley Park being turned into a venue hosting high-profile music concerts. The £9.6m project, would be dependant on securing European grants and North West Development Agency funding.

As part of the vision to achieve a 'physical transformation' of St Helens, the strategy also suggests erecting two eye-catching landmark sculptures. The 'Beacons of Glass' would be built on motorway approaches to St Helens.

Also included in the strategy, are plans to regenerate St Helens town centre. Linked to this are plans to reopen part of the St Helens/Sankey Canal which would include new housing developments and visitor attractions. A long-term target is restoring the canal and linking it to the national network.

Andrew Smith, chair of the CGS and managing director of the ST Group, was due to speak about the plans at in London, yesterday (Wednesday).

He told the Star: "This is a most exciting vision for the future. An important factor is that the private sector from St Helens have been involved with the strategy. Of the 17 board members, 14 are from the private sector and have worked very hard with the local authority to put together the strategy that they are now adopting as their economic development plan.

"It's good news for the town, for people, businesses and the economy. The private sector has shown no shortage of interest in what we have detailed and hope to get funding through organisations like the NWDA".

St Helens was chosen in spring 2002 as one of four areas in England to act as a pilot for a new approach to economic development. A board was up in 2002 made up nearly exclusively of local business leaders and began devising the City Growth Strategy. Partners of the strategy include St Helens Council and St Helens Chamber.

The proposed developments are only some of the recommendations made to improve the town's economic prosperity. Among a wealth of other suggestions are plans to improve the town's transport links, attract new businesses to St Helens and change the mindset of townsfolk so more people are encouraged to learn new skills and become entrepreneurs.