Transformation of St Helens’ Cannington Shaw Bottle Shop moves ahead

Having been on Historic England’s “at risk” register for more than 20 years, the derelict scheduled monument is to be converted into a community events space as part of the council’s £25m Towns Fund programme. 

Cannington Shaw Preservation Trust CIC has submitted a planning application to St Helens Council for initial work to protect the Victorian-era No.7 Bottle Shop from further dilapidation.

Sandwiched between the St Helens Linkway and the town’s rugby league ground, Cannington Shaw No.7 Bottle Shop will receive £1.3m from the Towns Fund to support this phase of the scheme. 

Meanwhile, the trust is working up proposals to transform the building, once a key part of the town’s glass industry and home to a pioneering regenerative furnace, into a community hub and events space.

The trust recently took ownership of the site from Network Space, which has led the creation of Glass Futures, a research and development facility aimed at transforming the way glass is produced and located nearby. 

Under proposals drawn up by architect MGMA, the derelict site would be brought back to life more than a century since it produced its last bottle. 

The project proposes extensive repairs and refurbishment to turn the brick building into a community events space that showcases St Helens’ glass heritage. The scheme also features the creation of a viewing tower so that visitors can observe the former factory. 

Pegasus is advising on planning and Hinchcliffe Heritage is the heritage consultant. 

To learn more, search for application reference P/2023/0420/FUL on St Helens Council’s planning portal.