Liverpool City Region invests £180m in St Helens Borough since establishment

Article date: 28 August 2024

The funding is bringing benefits to the whole of the borough, from £30m for new station facilities at Lea Green and Newton-le-Willows, to £50m to redevelop the former Parkside colliery site and £11m for Glass Futures, a global centre of excellence working to decarbonise the glass industry, in the very place where the modern industry began.

The borough has also benefited from £12.6m in adult education funding, since the Adult Education Budget's devolution to the Combined Authority in 2019, supporting more than 14,000 learners.

More than 300 St Helens residents have also been supported through the Households into Work scheme, which works with some of the most disadvantaged people in society to help them into the workplace.

And St Helens is at the heart of two of the Combined Authority's most significant recent developments that will drive economic growth for years to come. 

Parkside is one of just three sites that form a major part of the Liverpool City Region Freeport, which as a whole is expected to create 14,000 jobs and boost the local economy by £850m.

And a new St Helens Manufacturing and Innovation Campus will be one of a further three tax sites in the Liverpool City Region Innovation Zone, expected to create a further 8000 jobs across the city region.

With a range of benefits available to attract businesses to the Freeport and Innovation Zone sites, St Helens Council will be able to retain business rates on new properties for the next ten years, and will be able to reinvest that money in economic regeneration in the borough.

All of this is possible because St Helens, and the other five local authorities, took the decision to work together as a Combined Authority, revolutionising the relationship with central government and benefitting all 1.6m people across the city region.

The Combined Authority is led by a directly elected Mayor but it is made up of its constituent local authorities who play a key role in driving it forward.  For example, as Cabinet Member for Net Zero, Cllr Burns is responsible for the Combined Authority's ambitious plans to reach net zero carbon by 2035, through as range of actions set out in its 5 year climate action plan.

Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram said:

"Devolution is about putting power back where it belongs: in the hands of local people. The improvements and investments we've seen across St Helens since the Combined Authority was established is exactly why I've continued to fight for more local decision making for the Liverpool City Region.

"St Helens is a prime example of how we're using that power to make a real difference in our area, delivering on the pledges I have laid out since being elected Mayor.

"We're showing once again that when we have the tools to shape our own destiny, we can do great things for our region."

St Helens Borough Council Leader and the Combined Authority's Cabinet Member for Net Zero, Cllr Anthony Burns said:

"Devolution is key to the continuing growth and success of our borough, having already seen £180 million invested here in many groundbreaking projects, and more in the pipeline as a direct result of our partnership in the Combined Authority.

"With the power to make decisions here, at the home of the people, communities and businesses they affect, we are creating more effective, better targeted public services in key policy areas like transport, more skills, new jobs and better access to them, and stronger links between public, private and community leaders.

"And we welcome Government plans to both deepen and broaden devolution, granting greater control over things like employment support and planning at a local level. Government have made no secret of their support for devolution, so it is important that we play an active role and have a strong voice around the table to make sure we get the best deal for St Helens."