St Helens unveils £1.8bn plan

Nov 21 2008 By Laura Sharpe

ST Helens has unveiled its new 10-year development plan for 90 major projects costing more than £1.8bn.

Headline projects include Parkside Railfreight Distribution Centre, St Helens Campus redevelopment, a new stadium for St Helens Rugby League Club and a £6m Chamber headquarters.

The council revealed its revised plan last night after completing most of the original 70 projects ahead of schedule.

Cllr Brian Spencer, leader of St Helens Council, said: “The fact we have revised the original strategy after only five years is a reflection of our highly successful approach to regeneration.”

Projects already completed include the £90m redevelopment of St Helens Hospital, £8m of office space at Mere Grange Business Park and the UK’s first essential oils and wildflower centre.

Back in 2002, the borough was chosen by the Government as one of four areas across the UK to pilot a City Growth Strategy (CGS).

The strategy hoped to transform St Helens using a private-sector approach to drive development and regeneration.

Since CGS was started, the number of businesses have increased by more than 40% with 2,400 new homes built and 4000 new jobs created.

Cllr Spencer added: “Change won’t happen overnight, however there is a real determination to achieve our ambitions so we can ensure that St Helens continues to develop as a vibrant, modern and enterprising borough at the heart of the Northwest.”

The 2008-21018 strategy retains the original vision for a revitalised St Helens following four main themes; growing and strengthening business, raising aspirations, improving the physical environment and raising the borough’s profile and image.

Original projects including Urban Villages, the rugby league stadium, the Big Art Project and tourism development are continued in the plan.

With three new projects, the flagship Chamber headquarters and graduate enterprise centre, new signage and town centre visitor information to be completed by the end of 2008.

Steve Gange, chair of the Enterprise Forum and director of Pilkington plc, said: “St Helens has made remarkable progress since the first CGS was launched and this clear and confident programme of activity is intended to ensure that we continue to go from strength to strength for the next 10 years.”

He added: “Clearly many challenges remain, particularly in the current economic climate, however we are confident St Helens will weather the storm, underpinned by close public-private partnership working.

“If anything the new CGS is even more deliverable than the last, particularly if you look at how the funding stacks up with over £1.1bn of capital projects already approved or underway.”