Newton-le-Willows Plan for Neighbourhoods Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

St Helens Borough Council has successfully secured up to £20 million in funding to be spent on local priorities within Newton-le-Willows over the next 10 years.

Newton-le-Willows Neighbourhood Board brings together residents, business and community leaders and will oversee the development and delivery of the Regeneration Plan and 4-Year Investment Plan. It will meet on a quarterly basis, or more frequently if required, and will bring together a broad range of specialisms to oversee delivery projects to tackle local priorities.

The Board will provide a strategic overview, direction, and scrutiny of delivery against the plan and will work with the Council, as accountable body for the funding.

The Newton-le Willows Neighbourhood Board consists of a mix of mandated and non-mandated positions led by a private sector Chair appointed by St Helens Borough Council in consultation with the MP for St Helens North.

Mandated Board positions are detailed in the Plan for Neighbourhoods Guidance note and form a core part of the Neighbourhood Board and were extended to include the Chief Executive of St Helens Council and a representative from Liverpool City Region Combined Authority as a strategic partner. The mandated Neighbourhood Board agreed at its meeting of June 2024 to adhere to the suggested Neighbourhood Board composition contained within the previous Long-term Plan for Towns Guidance note for non-mandated positions , except for creating a role for a senior representative from Merseyside Police (Operations) and two Community roles that were advertised by public advert on the St Helens Borough Council website. Nominations were obtained by ward members from Newton-le-Willows East and West wards and St Helens Borough Council for non-mandated positions.

As outlined in the previous Long-Term Plan for Towns Guidance Note (and since in the Plan for Neighbourhoods guidance), the Chair, in consultation with the Member of Parliament for St Helens North, met in September 2024 to review applications and nominations for Neighbourhood Board positions. For those candidates identified via nomination, the Chair wrote to candidates to advise of their nomination. It was agreed at the meeting of Neighbourhood Board on 28 June 2024 that these candidates would be asked to submit an Expression of Interest for their nominated position that would detail their skill set and suitability for the role.

The shortlisted representatives were invited to an informal 'Welcome Meeting' held for new Board Members in October, before being formally appointed by Neighbourhood Board on December 13th 2024. The Board Member recruitment route is shown below:

• Chair - Direct Appointment (mandated position)
• Member of Parliament (St Helens North) - Direct Appointment (mandated position)
• A representative from the Police and Crime Commissioners Office (mandated position)
• A Senior representative from the Police - Direct Appointment (mandated position)
• Representative from the Liverpool Combined Authority - Direct Appointment (mandated position)
• Elected Member (Leader of the Council) - Direct Appointment (mandated position)
• Elected Member (Portfolio of Inclusive Growth and Regeneration) - Direct Appointment (mandated position)
• Chief Executive St Helens Borough Council - Direct Appointment (mandated position)
• Business Representatives - Co-opted (non-mandated position)
• Community Representative - Advertised position (non-mandated position)
• Faith Representative - Co-opted (non-mandated position)
• Third Sector Representative - Co-opted (non-mandated position)
• Cultural Arts and Heritage, including Sports Representative - Co-opted (non-mandated position)

To view the full list of Board Members and their biographies, please visit Newton-le-Willows Neighbourhood Board..

The Neighbourhood Board contains key representation from across Newton-le-Willows. The Board consists of representatives from the community, local businesses, sports clubs, the third sector, faith groups and public sector agencies, alongside the local MP, and relevant representatives from the Combined Authority and local authority representation.

It is led by Managing Director and Co-Founder of Mercury Hampton Chris Hickey, which was formed six years ago and has made his hometown Newton-le-Willows as its base. A former Cowley Sixth Form and St Helens College student, Chris has gone on to be a pioneer in innovation and is passionate about creating a culture that will help people succeed. He has created jobs for the community and Mercury Hampton now has offices around the world. To view the full list of Board Members and their biographies, please follow the link: Newton-le-Willows Neighbourhood Board - St Helens Borough Council.

Yes - the Board will be a separate entity from St Helens Borough Council. The council, as accountable body for the fund, will support the Neighbourhood Board in the development of the Regeneration Plan and 4-Year Investment Plan and will report on the Board's progress to central Government.

Towns were selected by Government across both tranches of the former Long-Term Plan for Towns and current Plan for Neighbourhoods based on clear and robust methodology. The full methodology for both the first tranche of 55 towns and the additional 20 towns confirmed at the Spring Statement have been published.

The Government has confirmed towns will receive up to £20million of funding and support. The funding profiles for towns are set out below. The investment for each town will be split between 25% resource and 75% capital. The 'endowment-style' nature of this funding means each town will receive an annual, uniform, predetermined amount that is a broadly flat profile across each year of the 10-year span of the programme, similar to how Mayoral investment funds operate.