Latest stage of Earlestown transformation

Article date: 16 April 2025

The scheme is being brought forward by St Helens Borough Council and ECF, a partnership formed of Homes England, L&G and Muse, the nationwide place-maker.

Cabinet are to consider the appointment of Eric Wright Group to undertake extensive public realm improvements, including work at Earlestown's traditional market square, which will be enhanced and upgraded into a stunning multi-use public square to support and grow the town's historic market long into the future.

The market will be equipped with a new permanent canopy inspired by the landmark Sankey Viaduct, providing high-quality, sheltered trading space and the flexibility to host markets and other public events all year round. Cabinet will also consider the appointment of HH Smith & Sons, who have already undertaken enabling works at Earlestown Town Hall, as the contractor for the complete internal refurbishment of the historic landmark site.

Designed by heritage architecture specialists Butress, the works will include the creation of community meeting rooms, flexible workspaces and a new courtyard garden and café area, together with public toilets and a Changing Places facility. The building's main hall will be brought back to life as a performance and events space, complementing and developing Earlestown's evening economy.

Subject to approval, works on both elements of the Earlestown regeneration programme will begin in the coming months. The plans are funded by a £20m grant from Round 2 of the Government's Levelling Up Fund (LUF) with £8m match funding provided by St Helens Borough Council.

Also at the Cabinet meeting, senior councillors will review an additional £1.132m funding from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme to undertake carbon-reduction works at Earlestown Town Hall as part of the building's refurbishment. This will replace the existing heating system with air source heat pumps and include complementary measures such as modern insulation, efficient LED lighting, lighting controls and an upgraded electricity supply. These improvements will improve energy efficiency considerably, with estimated annual savings of £3,670 and 38 tonnes of CO2e.

The Cabinet meeting will also discuss the approval of grant funding of up to £5.383m from the Earlestown Town Centre Investment to the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, via a Grant Funding Agreement, for the appointment of Merseyrail Electrics 2002 Ltd as the preferred delivery partner for the Rail Station. The Earlestown Rail

Station element of the regeneration programme will deliver safety and amenity improvements alongside the restoration of the historic Grade II-listed station building. The funding is also subject to approval from the Combined Authority.

The Earlestown Railway Station project comprises three work packages. These are:

· Earlestown Rail Station Building Regeneration - to repair and bring back into use the currently neglected Grade II Listed Building, claimed to be the oldest railway station building in the world that is still in passenger use.

· Hard and Soft Landscaping Works - to improve the immediate surroundings of the existing station building as well as enhancing the quality of the triangular land between railways.

· General Station Improvements - to improve the overall condition of Earlestown Railway station, such as improvements to lighting, CCTV, the car park, the customer information system, pathways, wayfinding and information, waiting facilities, and ticket purchasing facilities

Councillor Richard McCauley, Cabinet Member for Inclusive Growth and Regeneration at St Helens Borough Council, said: "This raft of appointments and funding opportunities represent a transformational moment for the future of Earlestown. The anticipated approval of the plans at the April 23rd Cabinet meeting will be a landmark occasion, and we're really excited about the incredible wide-ranging opportunities for our community that will be created by the delivery of this extensive programme of works."

Matt Whiteley, Senior Development Manager at ECF, added: "This latest milestone in our plans for both the Market Square and Town Hall represent another important stage in our plans for Earlestown. Approval for these appointments from Cabinet will be another step forward towards our goal of long term and sustainable transformation of Earlestown, making it more attractive for local people and visitors alike.