St Helens £1m shipping container leisure hub approved

The Foundry which will feature outdoor cinema screens and a stage is due to open in autumn

A £1m town centre leisure and retail hub made from 51 shipping containers has received planning approval.

The Foundry development, on the site of the Chalon Way car park in St Helens, will see the containers house food and drink outlets and new businesses.

St Helens Council said the area, which will also feature big screens and outdoor seating, will create up to 100 jobs and open later in the year.

Councillor Richard McCauley said it was a "much-needed boost" for the town.

The development on Foundry Street will be on the site for up to seven years before the area is redeveloped as part of the council's town centre regeneration plan.

Mr McCauley, the cabinet member for regeneration and planning, said it was the start of "many exciting things to come".

"The Foundry will provide a much-needed boost to the town centre's visitor profile, attracting people from inside and outside the borough," he said.

He added that with "so many promising regeneration projects on the horizon, we want to keep that momentum going and give people a reason to come into town".

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