Key meeting this week to discuss £1.4m Gamble Building external works

The council's cabinet is being recommended to give the green light for the investment and the delegation of the procurement and award of the construction contract to the local authority's executive director place services.

The cabinet is also being asked to back the "continued engagement with stakeholders" for the future use of the building, which housed Central Library, in line with the Town Investment Plan proposition, which has been submitted to the Government as part of a funding bid.

If senior councillors, led by council leader David Baines, approve the recommendations then the procurement of the works contract will start in April 2021, with the actual repair programme beginning in June 2021.

An "estimated" date of January 2022 is pencilled in for completion of the repairs on the grand building's deteriorating exterior.

The Gamble Building looks out over Victoria Square

The improvement plan will include "extensive roof repairs, replacement of windows, repair and conservation of architectural terracotta features and cleaning and conservation of historical ornate decoration".

The council report adds that there is also a requirement to undertake some minor preparatory work pre-contract, to prepare for the works to start.

Hoardings have been put in place outside a section of the building off Corporation Street for the past two weeks.

As reported last month, 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 overall building's regeneration is set to cost £3.6m, with the council hoping to secure funding from the Government's Towns Fund.

The Gamble Building - one of the town's jewels in the crown

The three-storey Gamble building, with its red-brick frontage that looks out over Victoria Square, was built in the late 1800s and first opened to the public in 1896, after being gifted to the public by Sir David Gamble, the local chemical magnate, to support the advancement of technical and scientific skills among townspeople.

Its public library – St Helens Central Library – was forced to close in 2017 due to the collapse of the ceiling which rendered the building unsafe, though it still houses the St Helens Archive Service.

There has been anger and frustration voiced by Star readers that the library space has never reopened, although a new library space was created within the World of Glass last year.

(Above) the laying of the foundation stone on Victoria Square and inside a reading room  in the Gamble Institute, circa 1900 (Picture: St Helens Council archives)

The report due to go before a cabinet meeting on Wednesday outlines the third of a five-phase property improvement programme to bring the iconic building back into use.

A consultation exercise with residents showed the importance of the Gamble building as a heritage asset and a strong desire to bring the building back into mixed use, according to council papers.

The document states: "The construction improvement programme consists of three sequential stages commencing with the remediation of the building exterior, followed by a two part approach to the building interior, to initially ensure the building is safe for occupation and then to complete the reconfiguration works required to bring it back into use."

Bringing the building back into use is also one of the projects featured in St Helens' Towns Fund bid – which is seeking £38.5m from the Government.

The council report adds: "The project is designed to secure grant funding to support the delivery of the internal improvements and repurpose the building as a health innovation hub as part of a sustainable mixed-use facility."

The report by Lisa Harris, the council's executive director place, states that the building "is widely considered as a St Helens cultural landmark and residents would welcome the full building being brought back into use".

The building is regarded as a key heritage asset

Discussing the condition of the building, the report adds: "Over the years the internal and external condition of the building has deteriorated which culminated in the closure of the ground floor in 2017 following a ceiling collapse.

"Since then the upper floors of the building remained in use but are subject to similar condition issues.

"The building was fully closed in response to the Covid-19 outbreak in March 2020 and has remained closed since.

"The exterior of the building has deteriorated, mainly due to water penetration to the extent that further internal damage is occurring. Prior to addressing the internal remediation and reconfiguration the external works need to be completed, hence the requirement for a sequential improvement programme.

"The energy efficiency of the building also needs to be addressed as part of proposals to remediate the building exterior."

Five step approach

At its meeting on October 9 2019, St Helens Council's cabinet approved a five-phase work programme designed to bring the Gamble back

into full use:

This involved

Phase 1 Detailed community consultation on the possibilities of use.

Phase 2 Detailed structural surveys - which have already been approved.

Phase 3 External works programme to be delivered - to be considered by cabinet

when costed and designed.

Phase 4 Internal works and design surveys – to be delegated to the cabinet

portfolio holder for approval.

Phase 5 Internal works programme to be delivered – to be considered by cabinet when costed and designed.

Town Deal Bid

The report states that phases 4 and 5 are being considered as part of the Town Deal bid. These "will be subject to delivery timescales set out in the grant conditions should the bid be successful".

"The most significant grant condition is the completion of a full business case prior to the funding being released," add the cabinet papers.

The council adds that the "opportunity exists through the Town Investment Plan to create a vibrant and multi-purposed facility that has the potential to provide a significant contribution to the borough’s Health and Wellbeing agenda as a health innovation hub".