One Merseyside town was described by newspapers as the ugliest town in the north west.
St Helens is one of the many towns in the north of England that struggled to adapt to the post-industrial world. Having been built primarily on coal mining and glass making, changing times in the 1970s called for an overhaul for the "outdated" town centre.
The 1970s marked a turning point, with millions of pounds poured in for a town centre "facelift." Papers at the time described the town centre before the transformation as the "ugliest in the north west."
READ MORE: St Helens town centre's history from medieval times to 'masterplan'
On July 17 1970, the St Helens Reporter published an article titled: "Standing By For Beauty Treatment – The Ugliest Town In The N.W."
The article read: "The ugliest town in the North West is standing by for the first stage of its multi-million pound facelift.
"By the end of this year, the first five-year phase in the redevelopment of dreary St. Helens town centre will drive daylight and modern planning through the weary-looking streets and drab old buildings. St Helens, an abortion from the industrial revolution, must look like a planners' nightmare.
"One of the obvious stumbling blocks (and reason for the town's ugliness) is its peculiar geometrical lay-out. Two multi-storey car parks at either end of the first five-year project will accommodate 600 cars. Only a few buildings will survive the wreckers. These include the parish church, the PO buildings, the newest town centre shops (including the Burton's building), and the Savoy Cinema."
St Helens Borough Council's new "masterplan" has been a major talking point for the town in recent weeks and months. The work will be some of the first major works in the area since the 1970s and 1980s, with the large Church Square shopping centre being built in 1973.
The development was part of a development to overhaul the town centre and old market and turn it into a modern shopping hot spot. The plans cost around £40m in today's money
Large parts of the town centre have had little major work done since these 1970s developments, and the new 'masterplan' is expected to completely overhaul the area.
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