INTRODUCING a car park loyalty scheme, creating a forum of key stakeholders, overhauling the events programme and setting up a new website. They are just some of the recommendations made by a commission tasked with ways of improving St Helens town centre.

Last September St Helens Council commissioned a 'root and branch' review of the town centre by consultant Ged Gibbons.

Mr Gibbons, a former manager of St Helens town centre, was the chair of the Town Centre Improvement Commission (TCIC), a group of organisations ranging from Merseyside Police to faith groups and property owners which met over a six month period.

Today its full report was published.

Among the recommendations, was a call for the immediate recruitment of someone to fill the position of town centre manger, with the role to be conduit for all town centre stakeholders.

As the Star reported a fortnight ago, the process of filling that post is underway. It has been vacant since 2007.

Mr Gibbons also suggested a review of events in the town centre describing them as "tired and predictable".

Creating a Town Centre Forum (TCF) which would be a group of stakeholders, the introduction of a car parking loyalty scheme and an overhaul of the town centre events programme, are among key suggestions.

Giving town centre stakeholders a more strategic role in maintaining, managing sustaining and developing a "vibrant town centre" is another idea put forwards. The report calls for a private/public partnership to create "a greater sense of collective ownership".

Another suggestion is for a TCF to lobby the council and other organisations for funding to help town centre businesses.

In an effort to market the town more widely, the report highlighted 2018 as the anniversary of St Helens becoming a town and said work to mark this milestone must begin now as a priority. The report suggests celebrating St Helens' industrial heritage and and a modern town centre.

A 2018 carnival, including floats and performers, is one idea, as is a concert in Sherdley Park. Approaches to attract national organisations such as Radio One for a live show should be made, the report recommends.

The Town Centre Improvement Commission was tasked with producing a strategy to secure a long term viable plan for the town centre. This includes working with town centre property owners to get empty units occupied, reviewing the car parking policy, suggesting improvements and produce an action plan which could be monitored and updated.

In a report presented to the council Mr Gibbons stated: "Our high streets have changed enormously and will not return to the traditional 9am to 5pm retail trading environment of the late twentieth century."

He said that the UK high street is more competitive than it has even been including greater choice in supermarkets, competition from retail parks and neighbouring towns and the loss of public sector jobs.

"St Helens has a lower percentage of vacant units than the rest of the North West but the changing retail environment clearly needs to be embraced," he added. "The key challenge for our town centres is relatively straight forward, embrace change and diversify or perish."

Mr Gibbons said that St Helens does not currently have a 'town centre strategy' and has not had a town centre manager since 2007.