Milestone nears for ECF’s £100m St Helens transformation

The local council is expected to approve plans for the 24-acre phase one of the regeneration project, which features a hotel, homes, and office space.

ECF is seeking reserved matters approval for phase one of the masterplan having already secured consent for the overarching masterplan in 2023.

In the intervening years, the developer has also progressed plans for an overhauled transport interchange. This element of the £100m project, which the council is contributing around £70m towards, was approved in July.

The authority has now tipped the first phase of buildings for approval ahead of a planning committee meeting next week.

If approved, ECF and construction partner VINCI will be able to press ahead with plans for:

• A 120-bed Hampton by Hilton on Bickerstaffe Street

• 56 apartments, and eight townhouses

• A five-storey, 75,000 sq ft office

• 11,400 sq ft of retail space

• A 22,400 sq ft market hall

• An overhaul of the public realm.

The development of these buildings is being made possible through the demolition of the Hardshaw Centre, which is ongoing.

The plans seem universally popular – there have been no objections to the scheme.

To learn more, search for reference number P/2023/0685/RES on St Helens Council’s planning portal.

Jon Matthews Architects and Planit are leading on design. The project team also includes planner CBRE, and transport consultant WSP.

Hilson Moran is providing energy, sustainability, utilities, air quality, land contamination, flood risk, wind, and noise consulting services.

TEP is the project’s consultant for arboriculture, ecology, biodiversity net gain, and heritage.

Faithful+Gould is the cost consultant and Arcadis is the contract administrator for the scheme. Heyne Tillett Steel is the civil and structural engineer.

DFC is the fire engineer, Cundall is the sustainability consultant, and Project Four is the CDM and Building Safety Act expert. Powers is the land surveyor.