Earlestown Town Hall will open its doors to everyone
A new custom-made lift has been installed at Earlestown Town Hall, restoring step-free access and making sure the historic building will be open to all once the remaining restoration works are complete.
Article date: 16 July 2026
As a Grade II listed building, the Town Hall is subject to strict heritage constraints to protect its historic character and this meant that the existing lift shaft had to remain without being altered, and a new one couldn't be added. Consequently, a bespoke engineering solution had to be found to fit the existing space.
The building's improvements are being made as part of an ambitious regeneration programme being delivered by St Helens Borough Council and ECF - a partnership between Homes England, L&G and Muse - to improve both the Earlestown Town Hall, Market Square and wider public realm.
Sheridan Lifts, a specialist contractor, carried out the works on behalf of HH Smith & Sons, the main contractor for the Town Hall renovation. It modified the design of one of its existing models to create a custom lift that would fit the space perfectly. The new system has an updated mechanism for improved reliability and complies with both the Equality Act and modern building regulations.
A host of other changes to make the Town Hall accessible to all have also been made. These have included the addition of accessible toilets on every floor, ramps to the new courtyard area and café. A portable platform lift is also being added to the building's main hall on the first floor, giving step-free access to its performance stage that once hosted a gig by the Beatles in 1962.
Once reopened, the building's main hall will be a flexible space that can accommodate a maximum of 170 people sitting down. It will have retractable seating so the space can be multi-purpose and accommodate wheelchairs. It is envisaged that the space will be used for theatrical performances and concerts, fitness classes, conferences, community events and will also be available for hire for special occasions.
On the ground floor of the Town Hall, there will be more flexible spaces equipped with power and data provision making them suitable for co-working office space and meeting rooms. There will also be modern, spacious changing rooms specifically designed to provide full manoeuvrability and comfort for wheelchair users. There will be a new Changing Places facility - a special, fully accessible toilet for people with multiple/profound disabilities.
The restoration of Earlestown Town Hall is part of the Earlestown regeneration programme, which is backed by £20m from the Government's Levelling Up Fund and £8m match funding from St Helens Borough Council.
Councillor Jack Benyon, Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Property and Planning at St Helens Borough Council, said: "Dismantling the physical barriers that once impaired positive use of the Earlestown Town Hall building is essential to ensuring that all of our residents and visitors can benefit from this amazing facility that will serve as the heart of the revitalised town centre. The major upgrades, like having a modern working lift to give step-free access, and the smaller essential details, like having braille on the lift's controls, are now making it a truly inclusive hub for the whole community."
Matt Whiteley, Senior Development Manager at ECF, said:"Retrofitting a historic landmark to meet modern standards is a complex undertaking, but removing these barriers is fundamental to our goal of making the centre of Earlestown a place that truly belongs to and is used by everyone."
Mike Smith, Project Manager, HH Smith & Sons added:"The Town Hall's heritage constraints haven't made it easy to create step-free access, but we're really pleased that we've managed to overcome those challenges and will soon be ready for the whole community to use.