A new playground, creative mental health workshops and smart upgrades to Earlestown town centre and Town Hall have been confirmed as the first local projects to benefit from the £20million Plan for Neighbourhoods fund awarded to Newton-le-Willows.
The Newton-le-Willows Neighbourhood Board has given the go-ahead to four projects in total, with the first three expected to get underway this spring.
A brand new playground at St Johns Park in Earlestown will receive £203,000 to replace the existing equipment with a fully accessible, inclusive space for young people.
Earlestown Town Hall will benefit from a £134,000 audio-visual and lighting upgrade, making the building even more versatile for community events, performances and hire once restoration works are complete.
And £24,000 has been allocated to an Arts on Prescription programme based at Newton Library, offering creative workshops for adults experiencing mild to moderate mental health issues such as stress, anxiety and depression — providing a creative route to better wellbeing.
The fourth project is a longer-term one. A £1.2million Building Improvement Scheme for Earlestown town centre will eventually allow independent businesses and building owners within the conservation area to apply for grant funding to smarten up their shop frontages and buildings. Planning work will take place over the next year, with the scheme expected to open for applications in 2027.
The projects were chosen following a public consultation in 2025, in which regeneration, high streets and heritage emerged as the top priorities for local people.
Chris Hickey, Chair of the Newton-le-Willows Neighbourhood Board, said: “As a Board we are determined for the Plan for Neighbourhoods funding to have a real impact on the people of Newton-le-Willows and these early delivery projects demonstrate our commitment to delivering high quality schemes that will benefit residents and businesses in our town. I’d like to thank all of the Neighbourhood Board members for their hard work and input in getting us to the point of delivery, this is just the start of our ambitions, there is more to come for our area over the next decade.”
David Baines MP, Member of Parliament for St Helens North, said: “The £20million Plan for Neighbourhoods funding is an opportunity to deliver meaningful change for residents and it is fantastic to see the Newton-le-Willows Neighbourhood Board moving forward with their ambitious plans for the area.”
The plans now go to St Helens Borough Council’s Cabinet for final sign-off on Wednesday, 18 March 2026, before work begins in April.