THE historic Gamble building is set to be restored after council budget papers proposed earmarking £3.6m for its regeneration over the next two years.

Investment is also expected be pumped into Earlestown Town Hall, to restore the building to its former glory and bring it back into use.

A total of £3.4 million in capital expenditure has been allocated to the two projects for the financial year 2021/22, papers due to go before St Helens Borough Council have revealed.

The Gamble building on Victoria Square is set to receive £1.4 million for its external renovations, with a further £2.2 million apportioned to restore the interior in 2022/23.

Meanwhile, Earlestown Town Hall is set to receive a boost of £2 million over the next year.

St Helens Star:

Earlestown town hall

The funding will come from capital expenditure, as set out in the council’s budget plans, which covers infrastructure investment such as building and major roadworks.

This is different from revenue expenditure, which covers the daily running costs for the council and smaller expenses.

The Gamble building was built in the late 1800s and first opened to the public in 1896, gifted to the public by Sir David Gamble.

Its public library (St Helens Central Library) was forced to close in 2017 due to damage which rendered the building unsafe, though it still houses the St Helens Archive Service.

The building’s long-term future has been the subject of much concern and debate among the public.

The Grade-II listed Earlestown Town Hall was built around the same time in 1892-93. Two of its 60s-style annex buildings were demolished last year to be more in-keeping with the hall’s architectural form, in preparation for major restoration works.

The new council funding will support these works and allow the hall to reopen to the public once more.

In a statement, St Helens Borough Council Leader David Baines said: “The Gamble and Earlestown Town Hall are historic and important buildings in our borough and Labour are determined to restore and fully reopen them both.

“In the last year there has been a huge amount of work going on, with public consultation events, discussions with partners and community stakeholders, and assessments of the repairs needed, which are significant.

“Work has already taken place on the town hall to demolish the modern and out-of-character additions to the original building, and external repair work will begin on the Gamble very soon.

“Our three-year capital budget strategy includes many significant projects, and the commitment of more than £3 million in capital funding for the Gamble and Earlestown Town Hall is definitely one of the most important and exciting decisions in the strategy.”

He said the council was serious “about restoring these heritage assets and about working with the community to make it happen”.

Deputy Leader of the council and Newton-le-Willows Councillor Seve Gomez-Aspron also welcomed the plans, commenting: “I’m now proud we are at a stage where funding is being allocated and I’ll speak in favour of […] that financial plan. The capital budget is always set at this time of year to allow the Council to plan ahead on capital projects.”

The councillor added that the proud heritage of “my home town means a lot to me and this is a massive step in the right direction to protect it”.

A further £1 million of funding has been allocated for 2021/22 to cover public realm investments such as street furniture.

2022/23 should see £1 million of funding for the St Helens Youth Zone, £1 million to the town centre bus station, and a further £1 million to Church Square for relocations.

The proposed Parkside Link Road scheme, which hopes to see a single-carriageway road built from the former Parkside Colliery to Winwick Lane close to Junction 22 of the M6 motorway, has been earmarked for £8 million in 2023/24.

A cabinet meeting is due to be held on Wednesday, February 24 to discuss the proposed budget.