'My hair salon may not survive town regeneration'

6 hours ago

Thomas Berrington & Jenny ColemanNorth West

News image — Catherine Prior says a lack of footfall in St Helens town centre had affected her business "massively"

BBC Catherine Prior had long brown hair and is wearing a black top and a black jacket. She is standing in front of her hair salon window through which roadworks can be ween with two workers in high visibility yellow jackets and hard hats. — Catherine Prior says a lack of footfall in St Helens town centre had affected her business "massively"

Businesses in a town centre have raised concerns about road closures and access routes due to a regeneration project, with one hairdresser saying she fears her shop "will not survive".

Catherine Prior from Hair Studio in St Helens said there had been a "massive" drop in footfall as clients struggled to access her business on Bickerstaffe Street.

St Helens is undergoing a major transformation which will see a new hotel and market hall, homes, shops and an extended bus station linked to the railway station.

Catherine said she was uncertain if her business would be around to see it. The council apologised but said there was no alternative to shutting roads because of the scale of the project.

Catherine's salon does not use a booking system so her business relies totally on walk-ins and she said she had been forced to start closing early.

"I think the renovation of the town's going to be great. But the lack of footfall since that's happened around this area has massively affected us," Catherine said.

"I've been here 25 years I'm hoping that I still get to be in business when the new town centre is finally done."

Three temporary road signs in front of a construction site. A yellow sign with black writing says: "Pedestrian access to the town centre with a black arrow and a silhouette of a person walking. A second yellow sign with black writing says: "Hall Street businesses open as usual". A red sign with white writing says: "Beware construction traffic". — Redevelopment is causing disruption in the town

The £69.2m town centre transformation has involved the demolition of the 40-year-old Hardshaw shopping centre.

Catherine said: "Our customers and staff are struggling to park and with this temporary road being closed until April, taxis are refusing to come up this end.

"We are shutting an hour-and-a-half earlier than normal.

"There's no point in keeping your gas on and paying your staff when there's no footfall in the town centre."

A woman with short dark brown hair and wearing a black jumper is standing alongside a man with short hair and glasses who is wearing a light blue shirt and beige trousers. The are sanding in a bingo hall with red seating and white tables. A man is sat at a table in the background. — Glen Buckley (R) says he is concerned completion dates keep being put back

"It's just really hard to get into the centre when you're trying to keep your business afloat," Catherine said.

"We're trying to keep positive. We just hope that the public will support us and keep us ticking over while the renovations are being done so we can survive through it.

A yellow digger is on a construction site behind red and white fencing and a concrete path. — Renovations will see a new hotel, a new market hall and a new and extended bus station

St Helens Borough Council leader Anthony Burns said he was was sorry to hear Catherine's business was being forced to cut operating hours but the authority had no choice over road closures.

"The regeneration of the town centre is a once in generation, once in a lifetime," he said.

"We'll have a brand-new town centre."

Multi-coloured boarding on the side of a construction site which reads: "St Helens town centre" and "vibrant spaces for family and friends". A church building is in the background with fencing and a red sign in front which says "Road closed" in white writing. — There are a number of roadworks and road closures in the town

Other businesses in the town have echoed Catherine's concern over access.

Glen Buckley from the company which runs Hippodrome Bingo on Corporation Street said the re-routing of buses had seen many elderly and vulnerable people simply stop coming into the town.

"It's their lease of life," he said.

"It's the only time they come and socialise, and these people are unable to get to the bingo, and meet with their friends."

'Historical discoveries'

Glen said initial timescales had already slipped by up to four months.

Burns said the delays had been caused by unexpected discoveries as the works were taking place on historical sites.

"I think the problem is, and the frustration I have and we all have with construction, is sometimes there are delays," he said.

He added: "You don't know what's under the ground until you start digging.

"Back in the day they would flatten things and build on top of it, but now you have to do the job properly."

Anthony Burns sits in a radio studio, a blue microphone and control desk are visible in the background. He smiles at the camera. He has short dark hair and a stubbly beard. He wears a dark suit jacket with a pink, open-collar shirt underneath. — Council leader Anthony Burns says uncovered artefacts had led to some of the delays

He said they had found items under the bus station which were "remnants of the old brewery factory".

Constructions workers had also uncovered a huge piston which had to be removed, and buried rooms, he said.

He apologised for the delays and said the council would continue to keep local businesses informed.

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