Eric Wright cued up for Earlestown improvements
The contractor’s appointment on public realm works including the market square will be discussed at cabinet level next week, as St Helens Council and partner ECF look to advance the town centre’s £30m transformation.
Given planning permission in December, the scheme is being brought forward by the local authority with ECF, the regeneration partnership formed of Homes England, L&G and Muse.
St Helens’ cabinet will be presented with a report recommending the appointment of Eric Wright Group to lead on public realm improvements, including work at Earlestown’s traditional market square, which will be enhanced into a multi-use space to support and grow the town’s historic market.
The market will be equipped with a new permanent canopy inspired by the landmark Sankey Viaduct, providing sheltered trading space and making events less weather-reliant.
Town Hall teed up
Cabinet will also consider the appointment of HH Smith & Sons, which has already undertaken enabling works at Earlestown Town Hall, due to undergo a complete internal refurbishment.
Designed by heritage architecture specialist Buttress, 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.
Should sign-off be secured, works on both elements of the Earlestown regeneration programme will begin in the coming months. The plans are funded by a £20m grant from the second round of the previous government’s Levelling Up Fund, with £8m match funding provided by St Helens.
Across the combined projects, CBRE advises on planning, with Planit and Jon Matthews Architects leading on design for the Market Square elements.
The project team also 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.
Cllr Richard McCauley, cabinet member for inclusive growth and regeneration at St Helens 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 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.”
Station call
Also at the Cabinet meeting, the council will review an additional £1.1m 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.
The cabinet meeting will also discuss the approval of grant funding of up to £5.383m from the Earlestown town centre programme to the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, via a grant funding agreement, for the appointment of Merseyrail as the preferred delivery partner for railway station improvements.
The Earlestown railway station element of the regeneration programme will deliver safety and amenity improvements alongside the restoration of the grade two-listed station building. The funding is also subject to approval from the Combined Authority.
The railway station project comprises three work packages: the neglected station building’s comprehensive overhaul, hard and soft landscaping to improve the station’s surroundings, and general improvements such as lighting, CCTV, pathwasys, wayfinding, and waiting facilities.
ECF is also working with the council on St Helens town centre, where work currently in train has seen plans submitted for the replacement of the town centre transport interchange, with VINCI engaged as principal contractor.
its all very well saying plans are ahead,but Earlestown needs the market and shop improvements NOW,yet all the money recently spent on the Town Hall could have first been spent on attracting trade back to market/shops instead of a building no one uses and does not benefit local residents,Earlestown sadly has lost a lot of footfall as shops closed and market traders going else where,no lifts at railway station for the disabled,its becoming a ghost town and hot spot for youth disorder of a night so improvement a long way off but all that money wasted on a less important building could have first improved the very much needed refurbishment of market/shops and when all that is done,turn to town hall improvements,everthing always done in the wrong order only to suit politicians not the local people!
By Anonymous