Newton-le-Willows Town Board

The Board must oversee the development of a 10-Year Long-Term Plan and 3-Year Investment Plan, which must be agreed by council and subsequently submitted to Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The Long-Term Plan and 3-Year Investment Plan must be developed in consultation with the local community. To support this activity, capacity funding will be released to the Town Board to conduct public consultation.

The Board must "bring together residents, business and community leaders to devise and agree a shared vision for the future".

Both the Long-Term Plan and 3-Year Investment Plan are to be submitted to the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government for acceptance. It is important to note that funding will not be released until the Long-Term Plan and 3-Year Investment Plan have been assessed and accepted.

A Town Board of key representation from across the borough has been formed to manage the Long-Term Plan for Newton-le-Willows. It is led by Managing Director and Co-Founder of Mercury Hampton Chris Hickey.

Full details of Board membership can be found below.

Meet the Board Members:

Chris Hickey - Chair of Newton-le-Willows Town Board

Chris Hickey is the Managing Director and Co-founder of Mercury Hampton.  He has over 17 years' experience of providing business consulting services to clients throughout Scientific, Technology, Engineering and Manufacturing Industries.  Chris formed his business six years ago and immediately chose to locate in his hometown Newton-le-Willows as he was determined to employ local people.  Mercury Hampton currently operates in 22 countries and employs 30 direct staff and an interim contract team of circa 60 people. Also, in the process of opening offices in both the USA and Middle East.

Chris is a pioneer in innovation and is passionate about creating a culture that will help people succeed. Chris values teamwork, hard work, humility and well-being.  Born and raised in Newton-le-Willows he attended Cowley Sixth form, St Helens College and Chester University, also serving in the Royal Air Force.  Chris is passionate about Newton-le-Willows and is determined to bring economic empowerment to the people of the area. 

David Baines - Member of Parliament for St Helens North

David grew up in Haydock and attended St Edmund Arrowsmith RC High School, Liverpool John Moores University and the University of Manchester. He was a volunteer youth worker in Moss Bank before becoming a teacher in local Primary Schools and entered politics in 2013 when he was first elected as a Councillor for the Windle ward.

He was Leader of the Council for five years from 2019-24, leading the authority through Covid and significant budget challenges. He also held the role of Deputy Mayor of Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and was the Liverpool City Region portfolio lead for net zero and air quality. He is also currently a member of St Helens Town Deal Board. As Leader he oversaw significant improvements in children's services and the commencement of major regeneration projects in both St Helens and Earlestown town centres, before being elected as the Member of Parliament for St Helens North in July 2024.

Councillor Anthony Burns - Leader of St Helens Borough Council

Anthony has been the Leader of St Helens Borough Council since May 2024, after previously serving as Cabinet member for Wellbeing, Culture and Heritage, for the previous six years which included Public Health and leading on the response to Covid, and the cost-of-living crisis. Among other appointments, Anthony is the Chair of the cross-party Northwest Regional Leaders Board, he is also the lead on Net Zero for the Liverpool City Region and is a Local Government Association (LGA) peer member. 
 
As Leader he continues to drive the development of the council's #StHelensTogether approach, a collaborative ethos which aims to enable and support residents, businesses, and community groups to work together and deliver for the good of the whole borough. Anthony is passionate about raising aspirations and being positive about what our borough has to offer. He believes that through the great partnership work we have that we can deliver the very best for our borough and make a real difference. 
 
Anthony is proud of the borough's unique and special history and heritage which has more than played its part in shaping the country through its development during the industrial revolution. He is also optimistic for a future of growth in which we are a host of regeneration and once in a lifetime place changing projects to reshape and future proof our borough for the benefit of generations to come. 

Councillor Richard McCauley - Cabinet Member for Inclusive Growth and Regeneration, St Helens Borough Council

Richard is a dedicated public servant and experienced professional with a diverse background in both the public sector and industry. As the ward Councillor for Thatto Heath, he has been serving the St Helens Borough Council since his election in 2002. His current role as the portfolio holder for Inclusive Growth & Regeneration showcases his extensive experience across various council departments. 
 
In addition to his council duties, Cllr McCauley is deeply committed to his full-time role as an environment health & safety advisor within the engineering manufacturing industry. With over three decades of experience, he has honed his expertise as an environment, health, and safety (EHS) professional, contributing significantly to the engineering construction and aerospace sectors. His leadership skills are further evidenced by his position as Chairman of Unite the Union St Helens Central branch, where he advocates for workers' rights and welfare. He also holds the role of Chairman and Trustee of the Workers Memorial Charity, demonstrating his commitment to supporting workers and their families. 
 
Cllr McCauley's community involvement extends to sports, where he is a trustee and committee member of Thatto Heath Crusaders Rugby Club, fostering local talent and promoting the sport. Despite his busy schedule, he finds time to indulge in his passion for sports, cheering on the Saints, Thatto Heath teams, and Liverpool FC. His dedication to his community roles and his professional field, coupled with his love for sports, make him a well-rounded and respected figure in St Helens.

Kath O'Dwyer - Chief Executive, St Helens Borough Council

Kath joined St Helens Borough Council in March 2020 as Chief Executive. Prior to this she held the Chief Executive role in Cheshire East Council for three and a half years. Kath has worked in local government for most of her career (40+ years), working in several north west local authorities. During this time, Kath also worked within the Civil Service, as National Director for Social Care in Ofsted, and for 3 years was part of a government commissioned intervention team in Stoke-on Trent City Council via Serco.

Kath started her career as a social worker and has 'risen through the ranks. Prior to becoming a Chief Executive almost 8 years ago, she held the roles of Director of Children's Services (DCS), Executive Director for People Services and Deputy Chief Executive.

Kath has worked in a number of roles and authorities where there has been a significant focus on organisational improvements, organisational culture change and service transformation. She is an advocate of sector-led improvement and is passionate about both workforce engagement and social value.

Kath is a Leadership Fellow of St Georges Hall, Windsor Castle, she is national Solace Group Board Chair, a member of the SOLACE Policy Board, and a member of St Helens Town Deal Board. Kath is an experienced LGA Peer Review lead and a mentor for new and aspiring Chief Executives and regularly speaks at regional and national conferences. Kath is a lifelong resident of St Helens, she has an absolute passion for the regeneration and development of the borough and the creation of new opportunities for its residents.

Jon Smith - St Helens Chief Inspector, Merseyside Police

Jon is the Local Policing Chief Inspector for St Helens and will be representing Merseyside Police on the Town Board.

Jon has worked for Merseyside Police for over 18 years, across both St Helens and Liverpool, and is accustomed to partnership and problem-solving work having held roles within a number of Neighbourhood policing teams. He has led teams responsible for operational policing within Newton-le-Willows and Earlestown since 2020 and is committed to delivering excellent service for the local community.

Jon is passionate about policing for the public and fostering strong, flexible partnerships in order to prevent crime and anti-social behaviour and support our most vulnerable people within the community. He is committed to providing visible and accessible Neighbourhood Policing for local residents and looks forward to bringing his knowledge and experience to the Town Board.

Ian Lewis - Investment Manager, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority

Ian's career started in civil engineering but over time has moved to focus on regeneration and economic development. He has held a number of public and private sector roles in the north west, south east and London. He has secured funding for and delivered a range of major infrastructure, employment, skills and regeneration projects as well as creating and leading private sector led public/private Boards. This has included Boards to direct regional funding for growth and the creation of new organisations to take forward regional development, reporting directly to Government.

Ian started his role as Investment Manager at the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority in November 2023. The role focusses on the deployment of investment in projects that support the City Region's priorities. This also involves the delivery of capital projects in programmes such as the Innovation Zone and Freeport.

Amie Parsonage - Portfolio and Partnerships Officer, Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner

Amie will be representing Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Emily Spurrell, on the Town Board. As part of her role as Portfolio and Partnership Officer, she is responsible for leading on the shared priorities outlined within the PCCs Police and Crime Plan.

Amie is well accustomed to engaging and building partnerships relevant to those priorities and maintaining an ongoing knowledge of the strategic partnerships, initiatives and projects in the local authority areas to support the objectives and delivery of the Police and Crime Plan. One of Amie's portfolio areas is Business and Retail Crime and will bring her expertise to the Town Board for Newton-le-Willows.

Alex Myhill - Community Representative

Alex is a local businesswoman, owner, and founder of the Riddling Rack, a café, bar and event space on Newton High Street since October 2018, and previously worked in communications for the public sector and NHS. She is well accustomed to board appointments and is currently serving on the Parkside Community Forum committee and is passionate about providing a two-way channel of communication between the Parkside Team and residents.

More recently, Alex has also been involved with the success of Newton Music Festival, helping to plan and develop a new music festival in conjunction with Newton Town Show.

Joanne Edge - Community Representative

Joanne is currently the manager at Newton Sports Club, a local multi-sports and social club in Newton-le-Willows.

Joanne is well accustomed to working closely with organisations and being the crucial link to bring young people and the wider community into sports. Managing Newton Sports Club, which was established in 1858, Joanne is passionate about the history and heritage of Newton-le-Willows and retaining these places for future generations.

Debbie Taylor - Business Representative

Debbie is a local businesswoman, owning a local beauty salon and training academy Es Paradis in Newton-le-Willows for over 22 years, working alongside training providers to offer qualifications and apprenticeship programmes to local people. She also owns a community interest company based within Earlestown, Domestic Abuse WA12, to support victims and survivors of domestic abuse and providing a safe and non-judgmental space for those affected, including domestic abuse wa12 foodshare, offering surplus foods from supermarkets to their Domestic abuse clients and the local community including crisis packs of food hamper support.

Debbie also set up and coordinates Earlestown Thrive Growth and Development Hub, a Community Group of local shop holders supporting the growth and development of Earlestown, passionate about community engagement and advertising Earlestown through their Facebook page.

Paul Romanko - Business Representative

Paul is a Senior Project Engineer for United Utilities Water Ltd (UU), who has an extensive background and experience in managing and delivering a portfolio of capital investment projects by working with external Clients to deliver transport, urban regeneration, and property development schemes.

Paul is also an executive committee member for the Sankey Canal Restoration Society, having obtained several grants for the charity. He is enthusiastic about the regeneration opportunities for Newton-le-Willows and advocates community and business involvement.

Fiona Ruddy - Third Sector Representative

Fiona is the Chair of Trustees for the well-established Newton Community Centre. As a self-funded registered charity, it provides support across the local community through events, support groups, and various clubs and classes. The centre is a food bank and is often first point of contact for the most vulnerable in our community. The centre also hosts a community café and garden and regularly organises fundraising and community engagement events.

Fiona has been involved in a leadership capacity of the charity for nearly 10 years, giving her valuable experience of the Third Sector and an understanding of the challenges facing the local community in Newton-le-Willows.

John Unsworth - Cultural, Arts, and Heritage including Sports Groups Representative

John currently holds the post of District Officer for the Sea Cadet Corps in Merseyside East and has been an instructor at the established Newton-le-Willows Sea Cadet Corps for the last 27 years.

John has supported and committed to the development of hundreds of young people and adult volunteers in the local community and helped to organise and support community events across Newton-le-Willows.

Rev Chris Stafford - Faith Representative

Chris is currently the Team Rector across the four Church of England churches in Newton-le-Willows and is passionate to represent all faiths and those of none.

Chris also volunteers as school governor at a local primary school, ensuring the school provides a good quality education through strategic guidance. He is passionate to make Newton-le-Willows the best it can be and is interested in improving the welfare of the town.