St Helens Council approves £500k economic fund

The Cabinet of St Helens Council had given the nod of approval to a £500k regeneration fund in an effort to stimulate economic growth and help businesses in the borough.

It is hoped the money will give the council and its partners the flexibility to respond to new economic opportunities in real time.

The council’s leader, Barrie Grunewald, said: “Over the last year, through work at the Liverpool Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, various funding [streams] have been secured - and it’s essential we ensure we have the technical expertise to get our share.”

One priority of the fund will be to support and involve key stakeholders in a master-planning exercise in St Helens, examining the town centre’s current role and function.

Mike Palin, the chief executive, commented: “We’ve recently received the Town Centre Commission report, which provides a useful piece of evidence about how the town centre currently performs,” explained Mr Palin.

“Many of the recommendations are operational but we need to look ahead to what the role of the town centre is in the long-term - and ensure that we design a way forward that delivers sustainability.

“Retail markets are quite obviously changing but I fully believe St Helens has a positive future as long as we recognise the changes and respond appropriately. That is why we might need a piece of master-planning work so we can see what the future holds.”