Consultation begins for regeneration of St Helens glass works site

The public can have its say on the future of Pilkington’s former Watson Street home, a 30-acre mixed-use single-ownership development opportunity.

Included in the Liverpool City Region Life Science Investment Zone, it has an emerging masterplan for 600 to 700 homes and commercial, R&D, and industrial floorspace.

Broadway Malyan is leading the project on behalf of St Helens Borough Council and NSG Group, which owns Pilkington UK, and this week hosts a town centre exhibition showcasing the site’s potential.

The online consultation has opened and runs until July 26. You can submit feedback and access the consultation at www.watsonstreetworks.co.uk.

A public drop-in consultation event also will happen this Friday, 12 July, and Saturday, 13 July, at the LaGrange Arcade in the Church Square Shopping Centre in St Helens.

NSG Group has been discussing with St Helens Council to determine how the site could support wider regeneration plans for the nearby town centre, but the firm will not be directly involved with any future development of Watson Street Works.

Broadway Malyan’s plan maps out the potential for a mixed-use district on the edge of the town centre, earmarked for hundreds of homes as well as light industrial and business units.

These would be integrated around generous green space and inspired by the site’s industrial heritage.

Broadway Malyan has drawn up a scheme for the Watson Street Works site in St Helens. Credit: Broadway Malyan

Ivor Phillips, director of architecture at Broadway Malyan, said: “This is a huge opportunity for St Helens to regenerate and reimagine this key brownfield site and create a vibrant, liveable and sustainable place that takes reference from the past while responding to the future needs and aspirations of the town.

“The proposals are both complementary and supportive of the existing regeneration of the town centre and together they can set a benchmark for authentic context-driven urban renewal that delivers meaningful social, environmental and economic value.”

Neil Syder, managing director at Pilkington UK, added: “While we won’t be directly involved in future development of Watson Street Works, we are keen for potential developers to recognise the contribution the site could make to the future regeneration of St Helens.

“It’s a really exciting time for the region, and with our investment into Greengate, and possibilities for the future of Watson Street looking really interesting, we are committed to supporting the St Helens community to thrive, and ensuring that the town remains at the heart of UK glass manufacturing.”

Other consultants working on the project include Nexus Planning, IMT Consulting, Curtins, RSK, TEP, Buro Happold, and Aspinall Verdi.

Pilkington UK has been producing glass at the site in St Helens for almost 200 years and NSG continues to invest in St Helens’ glass manufacturing by relocating the glass production from Watson Street to a more sustainable, rolled glass line at nearby Greengate Works.

This represents progress towards NSG’s target of carbon neutrality by 2050, freeing up the Watson Street Works site for alternative use.