The Town Deal Board – a partnership between local business, community and political leaders – hailed the step forward as it delivered £25million in funding which was secured to support innovative projects to support the town centre regeneration and the borough’s economic recovery.
Welcoming the news Councillor David Baines, Leader of St Helens Borough Council, said: “This is a milestone moment in the redevelopment of St Helens and will have a hugely positive impact on our plans for major regeneration. Very few places have received this amount and it’s testament to the quality of the bid and the collective hard work of the council, our MPs, and John Tabern and all the members of the Town Deal Board.”
John Tabern, Chairman of St Helens Town Deal Board added: “I’m so proud of what the collective effort of our local business, community and political leaders has achieved for St Helens. This is just the start. Our town and our people can look forward to a bright future.”
Councillor Richard McCauley, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Planning at St Helens Borough Council, added: “Our plans for St Helens Town Centre are ambitious and we are delighted that we have been awarded funding through our Town Improvement Plan submission. The close working with businesses and linking in the two with our English Cities Fund partnership means we have strong foundations on which to build and the future looks exciting for our borough.”
Conor McGinn, St Helens North MP, said: “This is a huge boost to our efforts to regenerate the town. Our bid was strong and we confidently pushed it, and it has paid off. St Helens isn’t taking second place to anywhere – we are driving ahead with our ambitious plans to make this the best place to live and work in the North West.”
St Helens South and Whiston MP Marie Rimmer added: “This is fantastic news for the town. I’m so proud of local businesses, community groups and politicians working together to secure this funding that will make a real difference to our town. The expansion of Glass Futures promises to keep St Helens at the heart of the global glass industry for generations to come.”
Find out more about the Towns Fund and read the Town Investment Plan in full at: https://www.sthelens.gov.uk/council/the-towns-fund/