Three sites registered as an Asset of Community Value in St Helens

Buildings or sites that play a special role in the character of the area can be listed as an Asset of Community Value (ACV), of which there are hundreds up and down the country.

This recognition gives a site more protection and allows community groups a fairer chance to mobilise themselves to bid for the land if the owner was to sell or dispose of it.

Sites can be nominated to become a community asset by local groups or councillors, which may be granted if its use furthers the social wellbeing and interests of the local community.

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Brown Edge Pub

The Brown Edge pub, on Nutgrove Road (Image: Google Maps)
In St Helens, there are only three sites registered as an Asset of Community Value with the council, with two pubs registered in 2014 and an allotment site in 2023.

This includes the Brown Edge pub, on Nutgrove Road in Thatto Heath, a popular boozer which won the Star's 'Best for Roast Dinner' vote in 2022 and 2023, as well as the 'Best for Pizza' award.

Owned by George and Hannah Ford, the Thatto Heath pub recently earned planning approval to change the use of its former bowling green to act as a large beer garden space, which will help to accommodate its growing customer base.

York Hotel

The York Hotel, on Nutgrove Road (Image: Google Maps)
A little further down the road, the York Hotel pub on Nutgrove Road is also registered as an Asset of Community Value with St Helens Council.

Another popular Thatto Heath boozer, the York Hotel has brought together customers young and old over the decades and organised a fundraiser to buy a defibrillator after a customer collapsed at the premises last year.

Stan Pennington Allotments

Stan Pennington Allotments, on Alder Hey Road (Image: Stan Pennington Allotments)
The third and final site registered as an Asset of Community Value with St Helens Council is the Stan Pennington allotments on Alder Hey Road in Eccleston.

As previously reported by the Star, plot holders were told by landowners that they would need to vacate the Alder Hey Road site by November 2023, despite the site holding a covenant to protect its use as a horticultural venue.

The allotment's formal recognition as an Asset of Community Value meant that landowners were unable to sell the land for six months, with plot holders currently using this time to try and reach the six-figure sum needed to buy back the site.