Designs for St Helens Interchange and new 'Gamble Square' on display ahead of planning submission

Article date: 25 October 2024

Being delivered with £32m funding from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, the new St Helens Interchange will vastly improve the experience and safety of those travelling by bus, cyclists and pedestrians and create a new welcoming and green arrival point in St Helens town centre.

The funding includes major enhancements to the public realm to create vibrant and welcoming public spaces with clearer, safer routes for pedestrians and cyclists and de-cluttered streets.

This includes 'Gamble Square' - a stunning new civic square between the interchange and the Gamble Building. Featuring street furniture, lighting, CCTV, trees and soft landscaping, this public space will bring something new and unique to this area of the town centre.

Gamble Square will both connect and celebrate some of St Helens' key buildings, new and old - including the Gamble Building, the Theatre Royal and the new hotel, all of which will benefit from views across the square.

The St Helens Interchange will better connect bus and rail services in the town, with improved walking and cycling links, creating a greener, more accessible and comfortable hub for bus passengers in the heart of the town centre.

The project is set for completion in 2026, coinciding with the introduction of the first franchised bus services in St Helens. To be rolled out across the city region by the end of 2027, the new franchised network will allow greater local control of fares, timetables and routes.

The interchange building will feature two fully enclosed concourses offering spacious and sheltered bus waiting areas. Two small building 'pods' at alternate ends of the concourses will house a new travel centre and accessible toilets - including a Changing Places facility.

The concourses are enclosed in a glass façade - with extensive glazing to the roof to maximise natural light. The pods are clad in decorative brickwork to reflect the character of the surrounding historic buildings.

Features include:

• 11 Stands, an increase on the current facility (which has 9). This is to support the aims of regeneration and bus franchising
• All bus parking moved into the new facility to provide a safer operating environment and safer spaces for pedestrians
• A fully enclosed dry, comfortable and temperature-controlled environment
• Automatic doors at each departure stand
• Level bus boarding throughout and step-free access providing a much more pleasant and safe environment for passengers
• Real-time service information for both buses and trains
• Secure indoor and outdoor cycle parking and wayfinding
• Improved lighting and CCTV coverage, enhancing safety and security

The interchange will create capacity for St Helens to welcome larger and more sustainable buses in the future and move all bus operations into a safe and controlled environment - reducing congestion on Corporation Street.

The designs prioritise pedestrians and cyclists, representing a 20% increase in footways with improved crossing facilities to key destinations across the town centre, such as Theatre Royal, The Millennium Centre and the Gamble Building.

Full details of the proposals have been published at www.sthelenstowncentre.co.uk/mmi

A series of public drop-in events will be held to provide people with the opportunity to view the plans in person and ask questions. They will be held in the former EE store in Church Square Shopping Centre (opposite One Below) at the following times:

• Tuesday 29th October:     10am - 4pm  
• Friday 1st November:       10pm - 4pm 
• Saturday 2nd November:  10am - 5pm   

Members of the public can provide their feedback on the plans via a survey online or at the public events.

Councillor Anthony Burns, Leader of St Helens Borough Council, said:

Maintaining and building on our strong relationship with the City Region is a key priority for us. Influencing and driving devolution will be key to delivering the continued regeneration of our borough. Equipping St Helens with a well-connected, integrated, and accessible public transport system is a key aim of the town centre regeneration. The St Helens Interchange will make sure the town's long-term public transport needs are met, seamlessly providing a more efficient operational layout and vastly improving the experience of passengers, cycles and pedestrians. Together with the new Gamble Square, it will form a key gateway into the town centre, where pedestrians and cycles will take priority in a vibrant and welcoming high-quality public space."

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region said: 

This is more great news for St Helens and is only able to be delivered because they are a member of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. Buses are the backbone of our public transport, with over 80% of journeys in our region made by bus. But for far too long, people have been stuck with slow, expensive, and unreliable services. That's why I made the decision to bring our buses back under public control—putting passengers before profits. This £32m investment in St Helens' new interchange is part of a much bigger plan to create the London-style transport integrated network our region deserves. This isn't just about shiny new buildings; it's about making a real difference to people's lives. We're building a system that's greener, safer, and more accessible, with local people at its heart. It will create local jobs, provide apprenticeship opportunities and benefit local supply chains. When the first franchised bus services roll out in 2026, they'll be serving this brand-new interchange, making it easier than ever for people to get around. It's a big step forward in delivering a transport network that's affordable, reliable, and fit for the future—one that's run for the benefit of our communities, not shareholders."

The interchange building benefits from highly sustainable design which includes using recycled, natural and local materials. Solar panels on the main roof will capture energy from the sun and each pod building will feature a green living roof. New greenery introduced in planters at numerous locations across the pedestrian space, will help increase biodiversity.

Using the latest best practice and taking advice from local user groups, the bus station has been designed with accessibility in mind, to ensure all users' needs and characteristics are catered for. This includes step-free access throughout, clear signage and information, including the use of digital and audio announcements, sensitive use of materials, colours and tactile surfaces, acoustic panels to dampen sound and high-quality, adjustable lighting.

The St Helens Interchange is being brought forward by St Helens Borough Council and ECF, a partnership formed of Homes England, Legal & General and Muse, with financial support from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority via the CRSTS (City Region Transport Settlement), a £710m fund dedicated to delivering major transport projects in the region.

The St Helens Interchange is just one element of the first phase of the £100m regeneration of St Helens. The wider plans will transform 24-acres of the town centre with a new Market Hall, flanked by a mixed-use area set around a 120-bedroom globally branded hotel, 64 stunning new homes, a 75,000 sq ft office and 11,000 sq ft of modern retail space, along with extensive high quality public spaces.