AS exclusively revealed in the Star last week, St Helens has won a £25 million cash shot in the arm which will attract more than £100-million of further investment to create and preserve thousands of jobs and improve the borough.

The 'Count Me In Bid' was only one of seven in the North West to reach the final bidding stage. As well as the £25 million Government-funded package, the bid is expected to attract £43 million from the public sector and a further £62 million from the private sector.

Council leader Marie Rimmer said: "This is the largest amount of SRB ever awarded on Merseyside. And, with a strong community involvement, the programme will bring about even more improvements, building on those already made. The new programme places a major emphasis on building, promoting community opportunities and bringing about new flagship centres of economic, social and leisure activity. We must ensure that as many members of our community as possible benefit from this award." Councillor Mike Doyle, Deputy Chairman of the North West Regional Development Agency, said at the time of the announcement: "The SRB5 announcements represent a massive commitment to the North West region by the Government.

"I am particularly pleased with the Merseyside successful bids by Knowsley and in particular St Helens.

"It shows a quality and ability to deliver based on past SRB programmes and means that the £25 million with other matched funding from both the public and private sector will create a massive £130 million investment. It is up to all the partners in the bid to ensure its success."

By 2006 the programme aims to:

Create and save 13,000 jobs.

Enable 8,480 people to benefit from education and training packages.

Improve 561 homes.

Assist 871 new businesses.

Provide 83,485 sq. metres of new business floor space.

Reclaim and improve 784 hectares of land for public open space.

Introduce 450 new park-and-ride places.

Give access to 179,000 people to new health, sports and cultural facilities. This will be achieved by:

Developing a major new industrial site at Lea Green, as well as the reclamation of a number of derelict sites that can be used to attract new industry and create jobs

A sports stadium with conference facilities which could attract people from across the whole region with its sporting and leisure facilities. Talks are being held with St Helens RL Club over linking the club with the scheme.

Better bus links around the town and new railway stations for Lea Green and Carr Mill. There will also be a major face-lift for St Helens Central and plans to improve landscaping along the East Lancashire Road (A580)

Plans to turn George Street in the town centre into a cultural quarter, coupled with investment in the Theatre Royal.

A borough-wide building programme

A comprehensive housing improvement programme.

Education and training packages.

Environmental programmes targeting improvements to key transport routes, tackling redundant buildings, canal enhancements and dealing with semi-derelict land.

The council also has plans to tackle social exclusion with special schemes aimed at reducing the isolation often faced by older people. And funding has been earmarked for projects supporting the current anti-crime initiative being undertaken by the police and the council.

Added Councillor Rimmer: "In making this award, the North West Development Agency has recognised the considerable achievements in regeneration by all the agencies in St Helens. This gives us the opportunity to tap into European funds to further our strategies and build on our success."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.