Details on apartments plans at ex-Phoenix pub in St Helens revealed

The Star reported in 2020 after proposals were approved seeking to convert The Phoenix Hotel building on Canal Street, St Helens and create an extension at the side of the building.

Proposals were sent to the council for the transformation and creation of a new car park to the back.

The application stated the pub has been subject to numerous re-openings and closures and had been shut since August 2019, with difficulty finding a tenant to operate it, with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic also adding to the difficulty.

Mirca Properties, who are working on the project have disclosed details of the development, which they say will see 11 apartments created.

Originally, 12 apartments had been planned but this was revised to "provide a more appropriate amount of space to each property".

READ > Plans to turn property into house of multiple occupation

Works began 2022 but were met with delays but are now "well underway" and are expected to be complete by the end of this year.

In a statement, a spokesperson said: "Mirca properties is renovating and extending the Phoenix Inn to create 11 apartments. This work started in 2022 but had to be delayed as materials were hard to obtain during those hard times.

"The original plans were for 12 apartments, however having revisited the plans we decided to reduce the number of apartments and provide a more appropriate amount of space to each property.

"The work is well underway and expected to be completed by the end of this year.

"The intention is for six properties to be sold and five to remain for rental. Of the rental properties, at least one will be assigned to social housing in conjunction with a local housing provider and will contain accessibility amendments to the property."

A CGI of the plans (Image: Mirca Properties)

They added: "This commitment to accessibility and social housing fits with our ethos of Mirca Properties.

"Residents will have access to a first-rate property which is IoT (Internet of Things) enabled to ensure that the property is maintained for all residents to a high standard and as a landlord we are accessible and have a quick response whenever needed.

"The reason for this project is because the majority owners deliver software and services into social housing providers, and we want to demonstrate the art of the possibility with technology today.

"We’re based in the north west, and we want to invest in regeneration of the region and this is a small contribution towards that goal."