A photo showing a Merseyside town centre as a "ghost town" has been circulated on social media.
It is no secret that St Helens town centre has been struggling for footfall in recent years, with some high profile closures such as the popular Marks and Spencer store adding to this. However, one day most town centres can usually expect to be busy is a Saturday.
Despite this, the photo- taken on a Saturday afternoon- shows Church Square, at the heart of the town centre, almost deserted of all activity.
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There is much debate in the borough over what has "killed" the town centre, and what can be done to resurrect interest in the area. Andi Mason, manager of How Nice is That boutique on Church Street, moved to St Helens from Huyton 23 years ago. She told the ECHO: "I'd say the town is dying, I really would. I think one of the major reasons why, people don't want to pay so much for parking to be able to use their town centre- there needs to be free parking like there is in so many other town centres- Warrington, Widnes.
"We're coming here five days a week, working to try and keep this town centre alive. To be fair to the council they say the parking charges go towards vital services but it just feels like they're sacrificing the future of the town for a 'quick buck'."
Andi added: "M&S leaving killed us, you'd get the more mature customers who would come in on the bus to go there, they'd have something to eat and drink in a local café, and have a browse around the shops. After they closed, that pull to the town centre was gone."
The council have recently announced several big projects including a steel container park built to house food and drink retailers. This, along with the brand new Imperial Quarter, opened by entrepreneur Ian Pitts, aims to shift the town centre towards more of a night time leisure economy.
A spokesperson for St Helens Borough Council said: “Like many town centres currently, St Helens can suffer from reduced footfall with shoppers particularly later in the day and it is with this in mind that we are now progressing with a major regeneration of the town centre area with a fresh mix of business and leisure outlets and high-quality residential properties, plus a focus on smaller, more independent retailers. In addition we are working with private developers to bring to life exciting initiatives such as the opening of the brand new Imperial Quarter this week and the forthcoming Foundry by Steel Life project.
“With these developments we aim to make the town centre a more desirable area for people to visit, shop, work and live in both during the day and the evenings with a modern vibrant mix of business, retail and leisure activity."
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