I WAS interested to read many of the comments that followed last week’s announcement that the developer who has taken on the Tyrers building in town is also buying Claughton House to convert part of it into apartments.

I think many of those criticising the proposals have quite a short-sighted view. Yes, I accept that the town centre has plenty of problems that need addressing, but I also think that anyone who believes the council can wave a magic wand and attract a host a of big name high street chains to St Helens is living in dream land.

When the much-vaunted Warrington town centre is losing its Marks and Spencer from Golden Square that underlines that the challenges facing town centres go far beyond the boundaries of St Helens.

What we need is change – and one of those changes is getting more people living and working in the town centre. The amount of public sector workers lost due to Government cuts over the past seven years means there are less people spending in the town at lunch times, after work etc.

So we need to find ways of investing in the town centre that attracts more people – hopefully with disposable income – to live and spend their money there.

Of course, it is not that simple. To attract people to live here you need to create a better environment – and that lies with our local authority and business leaders to formulate a plan to transform the tired town centre that was designed for a different purpose decades ago into a more vibrant, comfortable and safer place to live.

But if you create a community, then the hope will be that we will see the existing restaurant, bars and shops invest to improve and that more will follow.

Like I say, it is a big challenge, but to knock someone for investing in the borough seems bizarre and appears to be evidence of some people looking for the negative at every opportunity.

Good luck to the developer I say – and if anyone else has any pearls of wisdom about how to revive the town centre (other than the ‘We need a Primark’ that I’m tired of reading on social media) then let’s hear them. A rationale and reasoned debate on a subject many of us are very passionate about would be welcomed.

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