Green light for £30m Earlestown regen

Plans by ECF and St Helens Council to revamp the historic town hall and market square have been given the go-ahead.

The proposals to revivify Earlestown centre around what it claims as the oldest working market in the country and a 125-year-old grade two-listed  town hall.

The market square will be enhanced and upgraded into a multi-use public square, a project that will include a new permanent canopy inspired by the landmark Sankey Viaduct, giving it the flexibility to host markets and other events all year round.

Earlestown Town Hall will be extended and undergo a complete internal refurbishment before being fully reopened to the public.

Designed by heritage architecture specialist Buttress, it will feature community meeting rooms, flexible workspaces and a new courtyard garden and café area, together with public toilets and a Changing Places facility.

The main hall will be brought back to life as a performance and events space, complementing and developing Earlestown’s evening economy.

Committee approval was secured on 10 December, covering a reserved matters application for the Market Square works, and a listed building consent and a full planning application for the town hall. Construction is expected to start in Q1 2025.

The plans are funded by a £20m grant from the Levelling Up Fund, with a further £8m coming from St Helens Council.

CBRE advises on planning, with Planit and Jon Matthews Architects leading on design for the Market Square elements.

The project team includes Heyne Tillett Steel, project manager Arcadis, cost manager Atkins Realis, Cundall, Bowland Tree Consultancy, We Know Services, The Environment Partnership, Hilson Moran, and Design Fire Consultants.

Public realm will be upgraded through the town centre. Credit: via Influential

ECF, the experienced regeneration joint venture between developer Muse, Homes England, and Legal & General, will take the projects forward as the first major element of Earlestown’s improvement.

In addition, core town centre streets will be upgraded to improve public realm in the retail core and its connections to Earlestown station, which is also in line for a revamp.

Lisa Harris, executive director of place services at St Helens, said: “Earlestown is home to a welcoming passionate community, enviable assets in its historic market and beautiful Town Hall, and boasts some of the best rail links in the North West.

“We see amazing potential for it to grow as a place for people to live, work, shop, spend time and invest and these plans have been conceived to harness and enhance those unique qualities to benefit the town’s residents and businesses long into the future.

“We look forward to sharing more exciting news about plans to begin works early in the new year.”

Matt Whiteley, senior development manager at ECF, said: “Approval of our proposals for both the Market Square and Town Hall signify the start of the next chapter in Earlestown’s rich history.

“We’re excited to see our plans come off the page and into fruition and look forward to maintaining and expanding our relationship with the local community, traders and businesses as we deliver a shared vision for the prosperity of Earlestown.”