Tower cranes rise over St Helens as town centre regeneration reaches major construction milestone
The transformation of St Helens town centre has reached another significant milestone, with tower cranes arriving on the Phase 1 regeneration site.
Article date: 27 July 2026
The cranes are among the most highly visible signs of the significant construction progress being achieved and they will become a familiar feature of the town's skyline over the coming months, as work led by St Helens Borough Council, ECF, and main contractor VINCI Building gathers pace.
Supplied by Mayo on behalf of main contractor VINCI Building, a Wolffkran WK 235B and Wolffkran WK 166B XX Tower Cranes were erected by a mobile crane between 30 June and 3 July. The cranes stand at a height of 22.5 metres and can lift up to 16 tonnes in weight.
The cranes, that are the first to be installed in St Helens town centre, will facilitate delivery of the concrete frames for the 120-bedroom Hampton by Hilton Hotel and 56 apartment block.
Councillor Jack Benyon, Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Property and Planning at St Helens Borough Council, said: "You only have to look up to see the scale of what's happening in St Helens town centre. Our priority is to deliver this transformational project for the people of St Helens Borough on time and these cranes show businesses, residents and visitors that real, physical change is well underway. This is the next step in delivering a town centre that we can all be proud of and I look forward to seeing this vision start coming to life."
Matt Whiteley, Senior Development Manager at ECF, said: "The sight of tower cranes on site in the town centre is a powerful reminder of the vision we share for the future of St Helens - the progress we've made, and the work still to come. We are pleased to reach this milestone and excited to move into the next stage of delivering a town centre that serves its community."
Martin Horton, Senior Project Manager at VINCI Building, said:"Erecting the tower cranes marks the transition from substructure drainage and piling works into the main concrete frame construction activities , and it's a key milestone the whole project team has been working towards. Over the months ahead, these cranes will be at the heart of everything we build here, and we look forward to seeing the new town centre take shape above the hoardings.
The town centre regeneration programme is the centrepiece of a 20-year regeneration project being delivered by St Helens Borough Council and ECF, a partnership between Homes England, L&G, and Muse.