The regeneration of St Helens town centre has moved a step closer after a planning inspector acting on behalf of the secretary of state for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities approved a compulsory purchase order (CPO) in favour of St Helens Borough Council and its strategic delivery partner the English Cities Fund (ECF).
The inspector’s decision means the council can use its CPO powers where private agreements cannot be reached to enable the ambitious redevelopment plans for the 24-acre town centre site to progress.
In addition to a new market hall, St Helens Borough Council and ECF – a strategic joint venture between Muse, Legal & General and Homes England – intend to deliver a 120-bedroom hotel, 64 new homes, 10,915 sq ft of retail space, new public realm and a new modern transport interchange.
Councillor David Baines, leader of St Helens Borough Council, said: “Everyone in the borough wants to see our town centres regenerated so that they are places we can all be proud of, and the council is committed to delivering this change with an ambitious once-in-a-lifetime plan. We have the right partners on board and the determination to carry it through.
“With the independent planning inspector’s confirmation that we may use compulsory purchase powers where agreements can’t be reached – which will always be our first priority – we can now move forward with confidence.”
A spokesperson for ECF added: “We are very pleased that we can now move our focus to the next stage of delivery this landmark scheme. We have outline planning permission and will now make a more detailed reserved matters application in September. The CPO hearing featured a strong representation from our regeneration partnership, and we are satisfied that the outcome allows us to progress.
“We are still hoping to reach a negotiated agreement with the one remaining qualifying objector, nevertheless, our authority to use the CPO powers if required has been established. Investing in new transport infrastructure with a revitalised bus station is a crucial part of our once-in-a-generation plans to regenerate St Helens town centre and the wider borough, through our 20-year strategic partnership with St Helens Borough Council.”
