Hoardings and road changes as St Helens regeneration enters new phase

Article date: May 7th 2025

In the coming eight weeks, 2.4 metre (8 foot) high hoardings will be erected around the 169,000 sq ft former shopping centre site. These will be installed along Church Square, Church Street, Hall Street, Library Street, Claughton Street and Bickerstaffe Street.

In due course, an announcement will be made about the St Helens-themed artwork which will decorate the hoardings once the installation is complete.

To ensure public safety during this period, a series of temporary traffic and pedestrian management measures will be introduced including:

• One-way traffic system on Hall Street (south-west direction from Bickerstaffe Street to George Street).
• One-way bus-only access (east to west) on the service road to the south of Chalon Way West.
• Temporary parking restrictions in Hall Street and Corporation Street .
• Driving restrictions (except buses) and a no right turn prohibition on Chalon Way West's new service roads.
• Road closure on Bickerstaffe Street (Hall Street to Library Street) 
• Prohibition of pedestrians on sections of Bickerstaffe Street and Library Street 

Councillor Richard McCauley, Cabinet Member for Inclusive Growth & Regeneration at St Helens Borough Council, said: "We are getting down to the highly visible and physically impactful stage of the works that will help create a more vibrant, attractive and people-friendly town centre. This is a once-in-a-generation project that will bring new jobs and investment into St Helens, and whilst we apologise in advance for any inconvenience the temporary changes may produce, we trust that people will understand this is a necessary stage that we must go through to create a better future for our town."

Demolition will be overseen by VINCI Building, the main contractor delivering Phase One of the town centre scheme.

The works will proceed in three phases from June to September 2025, moving from Church Square towards Bickerstaffe Street. Environmentally friendly practices are being prioritised including dust suppression, with recycling and reuse targets for all demolition materials. Most concrete and masonry will be reused on site to minimise waste and reduce environmental impact.

Once demolition is complete, the site will be ready for construction works starting in September, delivering a new Market Hall, a 120-bedroom Hampton by Hilton hotel, 64 high-quality homes, and 11,000 sq ft of modern retail space. All of this will be surrounded by sustainable public areas, designed to create a welcoming, green, and connected town centre.

The St Helens Transport Interchange is being delivered by St Helens Borough Council and ECF - a national regeneration partnership between Homes England, L&G, and Muse - with financial support from the Town Deal Fund along with the £32m of investment from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. The latter was made through the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS), part of a wider £710 million boost to regional transport infrastructure.