St Helens Borough Council has announced plans to buy and convert a shopping centre as part of plans to regenerate the town centre.
The council has announced that it will be purchasing "several commercial properties, including the Hardshaw Shopping Centre" on Church Street which has been a staple of the area since it opened in 1982.
It is projected that the properties will be converted into "high-quality office space, high-quality homes, an international hotel brand, a revitalised market hall and an enhanced bus station."
READ MORE: Paige Rice and Callum Miller inquest: updates after couple died in tunnel crash
A St Helens Borough Council spokesperson said: "At its meeting next Wednesday (2 February) Cabinet will consider a recommendation to adopt the final version of the Masterplan Development Framework for the exciting, once in a lifetime regeneration plans for St Helens and Earlestown town centres.
“To facilitate delivery of Phase 1 of the St Helens Town Centre Masterplan Development Framework, it is necessary to purchase several commercial properties, including Hardshaw Shopping Centre, to create new high-quality office space, high-quality homes, an international hotel brand, a revitalised market hall and an enhanced bus station.
“Feedback from residents on the proposals for both St Helens and Earlestown town centre redevelopments has been resoundingly positive – and if the frameworks are approved at Cabinet, we hope to put forward planning applications in the coming months.”
The ECHO previously reported how St Helens Borough Council had drawn up plans to completely transform both St Helens and Earlestown town centres.
The plans have now been through a consultation period, allowing members of the public to have their say.
The updated plans will now feature a new multi-storey car park in St Helens town centre to cater for shoppers and night time visitors, this comes as one of the town's largest car parks, the Chalon Way multi storey, was demolished last year.
As well as this, plans for a covered market will be explored in Earlestown, with the council working closely with traders to develop the best type of structure.
Following the public consultations, the council claims that 'of those who responded, 88 per cent supported plans for St Helens town centre and 94 per cent supported those for Earlestown.'
The first phase plans for St Helens will include a new bus station, new market hall, as well as new housing and a new 'international hotel brand'.
