£7.5m demolition contract activated as part of St Helens town centre redevelopment
A £7.5m demolition contract has been activated as part of the St Helens town centre redevelopment project.
St Helens Borough Council and its regeneration partner ECF activated the contract with VINCI Building to demolish the Hardshaw Centre and prepare the site for delivery of the approved transformative first phase development in the heart of the town centre.
Initial works involve stripping out the interior before dismantling the roof, floors and exterior walls.
The former shopping centre occupies some 169,000 sq ft of land on a plot set between Church Square, Hall Street and Bickerstaffe Street.
Over the past few weeks VINCI’s team has been completing site investigations ahead of the demolition activity, with the enabling works package also including the establishment of perimeter hoardings and ground clearance down to a depth of 2.5 metres in preparation for the construction phase.
The preparatory works will set the stage for construction of 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 retail space, along with high quality sustainable public spaces.
Cllr Richard McCauley, Cabinet Member for Inclusive Growth & Regeneration at St Helens Borough Council, said: “This is going to be one of the most important years in the recent history of St Helens, paving the way for lots of positive change.
“There are lots of technical challenges when it comes to removing a large landmark site like the Hardshaw Centre, but our vision of restoring the town centre to its former glory and making it an attractive place for residents and visitors, is making another big step forwards.”
The entire town centre regeneration project has a focus on sustainability and these principles are being applied to the demolition of the Hardshaw Centre.
VINCI Building is targeting 96%-98% by weight and volume for the recycling and reuse of the existing materials.
Matt Whiteley, Senior Development Manager at ECF, said: “The project has impressive sustainability credentials. That starts with the Hardshaw Centre demolition and will run through every aspect of the scheme, with the revitalised town centre featuring new public spaces, better walking routes, and places where nature can flourish in high quality landscaped areas.”
The Hardshaw Centre announcement follows on from the activity announced around the redevelopment of St Helens Bus Station last November.
VINCI Building will begin the staged process of demolishing vacant, acquired buildings around the existing St Helens Bus Station from March 10, 2025. The move will prepare the ground for work to begin on constructing the new St Helens Interchange and Gamble Square, in advance of the existing bus station fully closing in spring 2025.
Last year, St Helens Borough Council and ECF published plans to keep the town centre on the move and open for business during the regeneration works.
The town centre ‘Interim Movement Strategy’ has been devised by the council, the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, Merseytravel and ECF, working with public transport operators, and included the creation of a temporary bus hub on Chalon Way West that will become operational this spring.
