One part of Merseyside is set to be completely transformed after plans were announced for a £200m regeneration project
John, 53, grew up in Huyton(Image: LDRS)
People in a Merseyside community hope a £200m regeneration project will take inspiration from the past, and help make Huyton ‘boss’ again.
Huyton is set to be completely transformed in the next few years, after proposals were submitted for ‘Huyton Village’, including the redevelopment of seven acres of Knowsley Council-owned land. Late last year, the local authority announced it ambitions to redevelop the town centre and create a ‘vibrant’ mixed-use commercial district, a new council HQ, affordable homes, and new leisure and cultural facilities.
In August, the Liverpool ECHO reported on Genr8 Kajima Regeneration Limited (GKRL) plans to submit a planning application following a public consultation. That consultation has now concluded and a hybrid application has been submitted for St Michael’s Place, incorporating a 130-bed hotel and a central village green which is expected to cost approximately £200m.
The ECHO visited Huyton Village with some of the marketing photos to ask local people what they thought of the plans. The first person we encountered was Anna, a mum-of-six walking through the village with two of her children and her best friend.
Anna has lived in Huyton all her life and acknowledged the recent investment in the village. She said: “In terms of all this money coming in, it would be great if some of that’s spent on something for the kids to do as there’s not much for them.
“But we’ve just been saying how we used to come here when we were growing up and there was clothes shops, but now it’s all cafes and restaurants. We’d be here for hours doing bits of shopping and there was loads of places to go, but sadly a lot of them are gone now.”
Huyton Village shopping area on Derby Road. Photo by Colin Lane(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
These sentiments were shared by John, 53, who also grew up in Huyton. Although he’s moved out the area, he comes back regularly, and said he has great memories, particularly his heydays breakdancing on Derby Road.
John was very fond of the old shops in Huyton village. Pointing towards where the “Mall” used to be, he said: “See down there, that was heavy, there was a big shop called ‘Fantasy World’ down the bottom.
“There was a shop called ‘All Man Kind’ and that’s where we used to get all our school uniforms from. Then there was a place ‘Incognito’, that was another clothes shop and also in the other square there was ‘Pride & Joy’ where we used to get all our Adidas stuff. It used to be boss”.
In May, the ECHO reported on the fate of Huyton’s indoor market – known locally as the “Mall” – which has been subject to much speculation over the years. The retail complex was loved for its bustling stores and friendly atmosphere, with people travelling from all over Merseyside to see what was on offer.
Despite the popularity of shops such as ‘Fantasy World’, the ‘Mall’ started to decline after a number of outlets ceased trading and eventually shut down permanently before being purchased by Knowsley Council in 2022.
Artist’s impression of Huyton Village(Image: Genr8 Kajima)
Asked to respond to some of the plans for Huyton Village, John said he will always want the best for Huyton and hopes the money will be spent wisely. “There needs to be more shops and they need to get back to the old school and give people some proper places to go like we used to have.”
“£200m is a lot of money, but I’d like to see that spread around because there’s areas in Huyton crying out for a bit of investment.”
We met Dorothy Taylor, 64, as she was enjoying a hot drink outside The Coffee House. Known to her friends as ‘Dot’, she has lived in Huyton for 30 years, she said: “I love it here, it’s so nice and I have nothing but good things to say because we’ve got a really good community.
“I do miss the shops we used to have, but on the other side, we have all these bistros and restaurants and I love them. I also heard there might be a cinema coming here and that would be ideal for me and I’d be in there all the time.”
The ECHO showed Dot some of the images associated with the regeneration project and she seemed excited about the prospect of what’s coming, “The public square aspect will be lovely. To have a nice place to sit with some gardens and nice views it would be fantastic.”
Dorothy Taylor, 64, is known by friends as ‘Dot'(Image: LDRS)
Asked what impact the project could have on the identity of the village, Dot added: “Huyton is about the people and that community spirit won’t go away because it’s so strong. Change comes and goes and things go up and some come down, but it’s the people that matter and I hope these plans have that in mind.”
Cllr Tony Brennan, Knowsley Council’s cabinet member for regeneration and economic development, told the ECHO: “Our plans are set to revitalise Huyton, attract inward investment, create jobs and deliver long-term social and economic benefits for the local community. We continue to push for external grant funding to accelerate the delivery of the scheme.
“Our aim is to create a vibrant, inclusive and sustainable town centre – something that our residents need and deserve.”