Town centre regeneration under way with temporary bus station construction

Work is now under way on the construction of a new purpose-built temporary bus hub on Chalon Way West linked to the regeneration of St Helens town centre.

The Vinci-led project is at the heart of the town centre’s ‘interim movement strategy’ to keep St Helens connected and moving throughout its multimillion-pound transformation.

Hoarding is now erected around the site of the new temporary bus hub, which is due to open in early 2025.

Once complete, it will include a travel centre, seven new bus shelters and new pedestrian crossing points at both the Bridge Street and Market Street ends of Chalon Way West.

Devised by the council, the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and ECF, working with public transport operators, it will ensure that travel remains safe, easy and straightforward while the town centre undergoes its transformation.

When it opens, the current St Helens bus station, on Bickerstaffe Street, will close to allow demolition to commence and make way for the construction of a new, extended and modern St Helens Interchange, which will be delivered with financial support and in partnership with the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.

Chalon Way West was chosen as the location for the hub because it offers easy access to shops, amenities, and employment areas in the town centre and represented the least disruptive option.

All bus services that currently depart from the existing bus station on Bickerstaffe Street will do so from the new temporary bus hub.

A full timetable and a guide to where passengers can catch their bus will be published and shared well in advance of the temporary bus hub opening early next year.

A dedicated, free-to-use, accessible car park has been opened on Parade Street, to replace blue badge parking spaces relocated to make way for the temporary bus hub.

Both parking locations have benefited from upgrades – including dropped kerbs and tactile paving – to ensure they provide safe and Disability Discrimination Act-compliant access into the town centre in addition to 94 blue badge parking spaces that will continue to be available around the town centre at on-street locations and within other car parks.

Four new 24-hour taxi ranks have been created in the town centre, to ensure taxis remain convenient and close to areas of high footfall.

The new ranks, agreed in consultation with licensed hackney carriage drivers, are located on Bridge Street, Church Street (two ranks on either side of the road) and Shaw Street, opposite the rail station. They replace the ranks on Hall Street and Chalon Way West.

Following construction of the new temporary bus hub, the next step will be the closure of the Hardshaw centre for the redevelopment of that site.

Cllr Richard McCauley, Cabinet Member for Inclusive Growth & Regeneration, said: “Construction starting on site at the new temporary bus hub marks the start of an exciting time for our town. It has set plans in motion for the delivery of a once-in-a-lifetime regeneration opportunity.

“Central to our strategy has been ensuring travel around the town centre remains safe, easy and straightforward, keeping the town centre on the move and open for business while this transformation takes place.”

He added: “The regeneration programme is focused on providing a St Helens town centre for the future as well as offering places for people to live, work and visit. As such, we’ve provided opportunities for local contractors to work throughout the project, contributing to our local economy.

“Construction of this scale will inevitably include some temporary disruption, for which we apologise in advance, but we have a robust and well-thought-out strategy to keep any disturbance to a minimum.”

The new St Helens Interchange is just one element of the first phase of the £100m regeneration of St Helens.

The wider plans will transform 24-acres of the town centre with a new Market Hall, flanked by a mixed-use area set around a 120-bedroom Hampton by Hilton hotel, 64 new homes, and 11,000 sq ft of modern retail space, along with extensive high quality public spaces.

St Helens Borough Council and ECF entered into a 20-year partnership focused on the transformation of St Helens Borough with the first key focus being the transformation of Earlestown and St Helens town centres.