Funding aimed at bringing vacant properties back into use
St Helens is to receive £1.79 million from a new Government scheme designed to tackle empty and derelict buildings, with councils being given scope to decide which properties should benefit. The allocation forms part of a combined £3.34 million package for St Helens and Knowsley, confirmed this week through the Derelict Buildings Fund.
The money is intended to support the revival of prominent properties that have remained unused for long periods. Possible work could include buying buildings, restoring them and finding new purposes for them. The Government has said the scheme can cover a broad range of sites, including shops, offices, former places of worship, department stores, pubs, theatres, cinemas and other buildings with heritage value.
For residents and businesses, the central question will now be how the money is translated into visible change on the ground. The allocation does not identify individual St Helens properties or set out a timetable for particular projects. Instead, councils are expected to consider local priorities, community opinion and wider regeneration plans when deciding where investment should go.
Local MPs welcome investment
Marie Rimmer, MP for St Helens South and Whiston, welcomed the funding and said it represented an opportunity to address buildings that had been vacant for too long. She said local communities deserved better and described the announcement as a positive step, while acknowledging that substantial work remained.
“This funding gives us a real chance to turn things around, bring these buildings back into use and make our town centres places people can feel proud of again.”
David Baines, MP for St Helens North, also backed the investment. He pointed to the former Ram's Head in Earlestown as an example of a derelict building where funding was needed. The reference highlights the range of sites that could become part of the local conversation, although no decision has been announced on whether that property will receive support.
What the wider programme covers
The Derelict Buildings Fund is worth £125 million nationally and is being distributed among 60 local authorities across England. Individual council awards range from £1 million to £3 million. It sits within a broader £210 million Community Assets Programme, which the Government says is intended to help struggling high streets, reduce vacancy and protect community assets.
| Area or programme | Allocation |
|---|---|
| St Helens | £1.79 million |
| Knowsley | £1.55 million |
| St Helens and Knowsley combined | £3.34 million |
| Derelict Buildings Fund nationally | £125 million |
The stated aims of the programme include making vacant buildings productive again, whether through commercial activity or community use. Its flexibility means the final outcome in St Helens will depend on the properties selected, their condition, the views gathered locally and the regeneration plans already being developed. The Government says councils should begin engaging with their communities and preparing proposals, but the source announcement does not give further details about the local application process or the buildings currently under consideration.
- St Helens allocation: £1.79 million.
- Neighbouring Knowsley allocation: £1.55 million.
- Potential uses: restoration, acquisition and reuse of vacant or derelict buildings.
The announcement gives St Helens a defined pot of money for a problem that is highly visible in town centres and neighbourhoods, but it is only the opening stage of the process. Residents will now want clarity over which buildings are prioritised, what uses are proposed and when work could begin. Until those choices are made, the funding remains an opportunity rather than a completed regeneration project.
