St Helens Borough Council and ECF have secured planning consent to deliver a new transport interchange in St Helens town centre.
Key features of the scheme include two fully enclosed, temperature-controlled concourses with spacious waiting areas, a new travel centre and accessible toilets, including a changing places facility.
The design incorporates 11 bus stands, level boarding, automatic doors at each departure stand and screens featuring real-time information for both buses and trains.
The interchange will use recycled, natural and local materials and feature solar panels on the main roof and green roofs on each pod building.
The project is supported by £32m in funding from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority via the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS), alongside £3.25m from the UK government’s Towns Fund and additional financial contributions from St Helens Borough Council.
VINCI Building has been appointed as the principal contractor for the scheme.
In addition to the new Interchange, the wider Phase One development plans for the town centre include a new market hall, 120-bedroom Hampton by Hilton hotel, 57 apartments, eight townhouses and 4,266 sq ft of new retail space.
Steve Rotheram, mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: “When our first franchised bus services roll out in St Helens next year, they’ll be serving this brand-new interchange, which will seamlessly connect passengers to our trains and active travel links. We’re putting the ‘public’ back into public transport by building a system that’s faster, cheaper, greener, and better connected – with local people at its heart.”
Anthony Burns, leader of St Helens Borough Council, added: “It’s an exciting time and planning approval is an important milestone, allowing us to press on with public transport improvements and creating a more attractive welcome, which are both key to our vision for St Helens town centre.
“The approved St Helens Interchange will ensure the town’s long-term public transport needs are met, with a more efficient operational layout that will vastly improve the experience of passengers, cyclists and pedestrians. Together with the new public realm that’s now been given the green light, it will form a key gateway into the town centre, creating a vibrant and welcoming high-quality public space.”
Matt Whiteley, senior development manager at ECF, said: “We’re delighted to have secured planning approval and to be able to maintain the positive momentum towards delivering the scheme. The new St Helens Interchange isn’t just about improving transport – it’s about shaping an attractive first impression people have when they arrive in St Helens. With better walking routes, public spaces, and extensive use of sustainable materials, the Interchange will be a key part of the town’s greener, more connected future.”
