Town centre transformations underway in St Helens and Earlestown

Our work to bring new life and vitality to the town centres in St Helens and Earlestown took a major step forward this week, with a trio of announcements in the borough.

Kick starting a year of highly visible change and renewal, a contract with VINCI Building for the demolition of the 169,000 sq ft Hardshaw Centre in the heart of St Helens has been activated. VINCI will now press ahead with the initial works at the former shopping mall, which involve stripping out the interior before safely dismantling the roof, floors and exterior walls.

We are working in St Helens as part of the 20-year regeneration partnership that sees ECF, a joint venture between Homes England, Legal & General, and Muse, delivering transformational change with St Helens Borough Council. The first stage of the vision is focused on St Helens and Earlestown town centres, restoring both to their former glory.

Over the past few weeks VINCI’s team has been completing site investigations ahead of the demolition activity at the Hardshaw Centre, with the enabling works package also including for the establishment of perimeter hoardings and ground clearance down to a depth of 2.5 metres in preparation for the construction phase.

The demolition will ultimately set the stage for construction of a stunning new Market Hall flanked by a mixed-use area set around a 120-bedroom Hampton By Hilton hotel, 64 stunning new homes and 11,000 sq ft modern retail space, along with high quality sustainable public spaces.

The entire town centre regeneration project has a focus on sustainability and these principles are being applied to the demolition of the Hardshaw Centre. VINCI Building is targeting 96% – 98% by weight and volume for the recycling and reuse of the existing materials. This is by using planned demolition methods to ensure that reusable materials are maintained in good condition and suitable for reuse.

Matt Whiteley, Senior Development Manager at ECF, said:

In partnership with St Helens Borough Council, we have also been to confirm that from 10 March 2025 the staged process of demolishing vacant, acquired buildings around the existing St Helens Bus Station will begin.

The move will prepare the ground for work to begin on building the new St Helens Transport Interchange and Gamble Square, in advance of the existing bus station fully closing in Spring and the new Temporary Bus Hub at Chalon Way becoming operational.

The new St Helens Transport Interchange is to be built on an extended footprint of the current bus station and will better connect St Helens’ bus and rail services with improved walking and cycling links, creating a greener, more accessible and high quality, future-proofed hub for bus passengers in the heart of the town centre. The project is being delivered with £32m of funding from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, and funding from the Towns Fund.

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 vision to restore and revitalise Earlestown town centre has also progressed with the appointment of HH Smith & Sons to undertake a series of internal enabling works on the iconic 125-year-old, Grade II Listed Earlestown Town Hall.

The restoration project is one of the centrepieces of an ambitious regeneration programme to revitalise this historic market town. Supported by a successful bid to the Government’s £20m Levelling Up Fund, with £8m match funding provided by St Helens Borough Council, our ambitious project will see Earlestown Town Hall brought back to life with new community, office, and leisure uses.

The project – part of the wider Earlestown regeneration programme – will soon be underway following the securing for Listed Building Consents, with a comprehensive enabling works package that include a full strip-out of the Town Hall’s outdated mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, together with asbestos removal. HH Smith & Sons will collaborate closely with local antiques experts and skilled stonemasons to preserve as much of the original building as possible.

Full works are set to start in Spring with HH Smith & Sons completing a full internal refurbishment designed by heritage architecture specialists Buttress. Once complete, the building will feature community spaces that include the amazing performance hall, flexible workspaces, a new café area and courtyard garden, together with public toilets and a Changing Places facility.

The main hall, a hub of entertainment for the local community for many years that was once graced by the Beatles in 1962 and has latterly been the home of Newton Amateur Dramatics and Operatic Society, will be brought back to life as a performance and events venue, complementing and developing Earlestown’s evening economy.

Throughout the project, the HH Smith & Sons has committed to utilising a local supply chain, workforce and merchants, as well as St Helens-based specialist stone masons, Stone Central.

Sustainability is central to the design, with the upgraded Town Hall set to incorporate advanced mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems. These will enhance energy efficiency and ensure effective heating and drainage for the building.