St Helens Borough Council and its partnership working with organisations and businesses in St Helens town centre has brought success as it has been awarded the prestigious Purple Flag accreditation.
The Purple Flag is similar to the Green Flag for parks and focuses on raising standards and broadening the appeal of town and city centres between the hours of 5pm and 5am. Clinching the Purple Flag shows that judges recognised the vibrant and diverse mix of dining, entertainment and culture on offer in St Helens town centre while also promoting the safety and wellbeing of visitors and local residents.
Councillor Jeanie Bell, Cabinet Member for Safer, Stronger Communities, said: “We’re delighted that the hard work by our partnership bringing together council, police, fire and businesses to work towards the Purple Flag accreditation has reaped this positive reward. We know how important it is that St Helens town centre offers something for everyone, with the mix of theatre, cinema, bowling providing family friendly entertainment alongside our mix of pubs, clubs and restaurants providing safe and welcoming environments for visitors.
“A lot of work has gone into improving every aspect of the St Helens town centre night time experience over the last year, and while there is always more to do, this award is a recognition that our joined up working with businesses and Merseyside Police has made a huge difference to helping people have enjoyable and safe visits.
“As we look forward to our exciting plans to transform St Helens town centre, we are already seeing confidence in the night time economy with a number of new businesses opening in the last few months. Purple Flag status further cements that recognition that St Helens town centre is a popular place for people to visit. A key part of the transformation is to refocus how people use St Helens town centre and diversify the offer to more leisure activities in both day and evening times so we will have much more to build on the success of this initial Purple Flag award.”
The Purple Flag accreditation programme is managed by the Association of Town and City Management, which is endorsed by The Home Office, police and businesses. Areas with the accreditation report a consistent increase in footfall and a decrease in crime in the evening and night-time economy.