St Helens approves eight-storey town centre hotel

Bury-based Sterling Property, connected to the group of businesses controlled by billionaire Together founder Henry Moser, has secured consent for an 82-bed scheme.

Having lodged plans for the redevelopment of Wolverhampton House off Church Street last summer, Sterling was given the go-ahead by St Helens Council last week under delegated powers.

The proposed hotel, which received just one letter of objection during the planning process, would rise to eight storeys and offer 82 bedrooms.

Designed by Artform, the project is located off the five-arm Parr Street roundabout close to St Helens Central station.

Part of the new-build hotel would be constructed behind the retained façade of Wolverhampton House, a three-storey 19th century commercial building.  The eight-storey element would be built on a site next door currently housing a single-storey building.

The project is the second hotel proposed in St Helens town centre in short order. ECF’s masterplan for the regeneration of the town centre includes a 120-bed Hampton by Hilton.

A report by hotel expert Jenics states that Sterling’s hotel “would not compete” with the Hampton by Hilton. St Helens Council is satisfied this is the case.

Sterling’s scheme would fall within the economy category while the Hampton by Hilton brand is considered upper midscale.

The only other hotel in the town centre is the Mercure.

To learn more about the scheme, search for reference number P/2025/0478/FUL on St Helens Council’s planning portal.

Eden Planning is advising on planning matters and Layer Studio is the landscape architect.