St Helens taxi ranks change under regeneration scheme 2026

Key Points

• The proposals to move hackney carriage ranks in St Helens Borough Council are due for discussion by its Cabinet on Wednesday 2nd September 2026.
• Under the proposals, ranks located in Church Street (north and south), Bridge Street and Exchange Street will be relocated.
• There are plans to create 24 hour ranks at north Bridge Street, Hall Street, Shaw Street, Claughton Street and two places in Ormskirk Street.
• Evening ranks are planned at Baldwin Street, Cotham Street, North John Street, Westfield Street (east and west), Waterloo Street and Bridge Street.
• According to the council, it has engaged with the local taxi trade earlier in 2026, and taken their ideas into account for the proposal.
• These measures come in light of highway enabling works being carried out in Hall Street in preparation for St Helens Transport Interchange and Phase One regeneration.
• Councillor Sharon Roughley described the proposals as an attempt to make sure that taxi provision is adequate for both residents and visitors in the town centre.

St Helens (Liverpool standard ) August 29, 2026 – Major changes to taxi ranks in St Helens town centre are set to be considered by the council’s Cabinet, with a decision expected at its meeting on Wednesday 2 September. The proposals would remove existing hackney carriage ranks at Church Street (north and south), Bridge Street and Exchange Street, while creating replacement 24-hour stands at multiple new locations across the town centre.

As reported by Perry Richardson of Taxi Point, the council’s plans include new 24-hour taxi stands on the north section of Bridge Street, Hall Street, Shaw Street, Claughton Street and at two separate locations on Ormskirk Street. In addition, evening-only provision is proposed for Baldwin Street, Cotham Street, North John Street, Westfield Street east and west, Waterloo Street and Bridge Street.

The changes are expected to alter where licensed taxi drivers position themselves during both daytime and night-time trading periods, according to the council’s report. The authority is required to keep taxi rank provision under review as passenger demand, development and travel patterns change, officials said.

Which taxi ranks will be removed and where will new stands be located?

Under the proposals, four existing hackney carriage ranks would be taken out of service. These are the ranks currently located at Church Street north, Church Street south, Bridge Street and Exchange Street.

In their place, the council is proposing a network of replacement stands split between 24-hour and evening-only operations. The 24-hour stands would be established on:

• The north section of Bridge Street
• Hall Street
• Shaw Street
• Claughton Street
• Two locations on Ormskirk Street

Evening-only ranks are proposed for:

• Baldwin Street
• Cotham Street
• North John Street
• Westfield Street (east and west)
• Waterloo Street
• Bridge Street

The distribution of ranks is designed to align with expected passenger flows and to support the ongoing regeneration of the town centre, according to council documentation.

How does the taxi rank review link to St Helens town centre regeneration?

The taxi rank review is taking place alongside significant infrastructure works in the town centre, including highways enabling works around Hall Street. These works are part of preparations for a new drainage system that will serve the planned St Helens Transport Interchange and Phase One of the wider regeneration development.

According to a council notice published in August 2026, temporary road arrangements are already in place while the work continues. A separate council update on temporary road changes stated that enabling works around Hall Street commenced on Monday 24 August 2026, with full completion anticipated in January 2027.

As reported by IN Site Magazine, VINCI Building is leading the highways package, with drainage and public realm construction beginning on 24 August and scheduled through January 2027. These works support the new transport interchange and the wider first phase of town centre regeneration.

Liverpool Business News has reported that Phase One of the £100m regeneration of St Helens town centre includes a new market hall, a 120-bed Hampton by Hilton Hotel, 56 apartments, eight townhouses and 4,266 sq ft of retail space. VINCI has been on site since the start of 2025, with construction proper starting in early 2026.

What have council leaders and the taxi trade said about the proposals?

The council said consultation and engagement with the local taxi trade took place earlier in 2026, with suggestions from drivers incorporated into the proposals. This engagement forms part of the authority’s statutory duty to keep taxi rank provision under review as circumstances change.

Councillor Sharon Roughley, Deputy Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Stronger Communities, said: “Hackney carriage services are an important part of our transport network, helping people travel safely and conveniently across the borough.”

As quoted by Perry Richardson of Taxi Point, Councillor Roughley added: “The recommendations being considered by Cabinet are intended to ensure that taxi rank provision continues to meet the needs of residents, visitors and the licensed trade, while supporting ongoing improvements to our town centres and public spaces.”

She continued: “We look forward to discussing the proposals and considering the benefits they could bring for passengers and drivers alike.”

The St Helens Star has reported that a report on the “required changes” to hackney carriage ranks will come before the Cabinet at its meeting on Wednesday. The council’s own news service stated that the move would ensure taxi services continue to meet the needs of residents, visitors and businesses throughout the town centre’s ambitious regeneration programme.

When will the Cabinet decide on the taxi rank reshuffle?

The proposals are scheduled to be discussed by St Helens Borough Council’s Cabinet on Wednesday 2 September 2026. The decision follows a formal consultation period on related Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) for the town centre, which closed on 28 August 2026.

According to the council’s TRO first notice, representations on the proposed Town Centre TROs could be submitted by email to towncentretro@sthelens.gov.uk or in writing to the Highways & Infrastructure Team at Atlas House, Corporation Street, St Helens, WA9 1LD.

The timing of the Cabinet decision coincides with the early phases of the Hall Street enabling works, which are being delivered in multiple stages between August 2026 and January 2027. Phase 1 of the traffic management measures runs from 24 August 2026 to 16 October 2026, with temporary closures affecting Bickerstaffe Street and sections of Hall Street at its intersections with Corporation Street, Parade Street and George Street.

Background to the taxi rank development in St Helens

The current proposals form part of a longer-term effort to modernise St Helens town centre’s transport infrastructure and public realm. The council has a statutory obligation to review taxi rank provision periodically, taking into account changes in passenger demand, new developments and evolving travel patterns.

The taxi rank changes are closely tied to the wider St Helens town centre regeneration project, which includes the creation of a new transport interchange and significant public realm improvements. The regeneration scheme, led by the council in partnership with ECF (a collaboration between Homes England, L&G and Muse), is a multi-phase programme aimed at transforming the town centre.

Phase One of the regeneration includes the construction of a new market hall, a hotel and apartments, townhouses and retail space, alongside the transport interchange and associated drainage and highways works. The taxi rank reshuffle is intended to ensure that hackney carriage services remain integrated with these changes, rather than being displaced or rendered less effective by new street layouts and pedestrian zones.

Earlier in 2026, the council engaged with the local taxi trade to gather input on how ranks could be reconfigured to better serve both drivers and passengers. Suggestions from drivers were incorporated into the final proposals now before Cabinet.

Prediction: how could the taxi rank changes affect drivers and passengers?

If the Cabinet approves the proposals on 2 September, licensed taxi drivers in St Helens will need to adjust to a new pattern of ranks across the town centre. The removal of ranks from Church Street and Exchange Street, and the creation of new 24-hour stands on streets such as Hall Street, Shaw Street, Claughton Street and Ormskirk Street, will change the usual waiting and pick-up points for many drivers.

For passengers, the redistribution of ranks is likely to shift where taxis are most readily available, particularly in the evening when the additional evening-only ranks on Baldwin Street, Cotham Street, North John Street, Westfield Street, Waterloo Street and Bridge Street come into effect. This could improve access to taxis near key nightlife and hospitality areas, but may also require residents and visitors to learn new pick-up locations, especially around the regenerated areas near the future transport interchange.

The changes may also interact with the ongoing highways works around Hall Street, which involve temporary road closures and altered traffic flows until January 2027. Drivers and passengers could face short-term disruption as they adapt to both the new rank layout and the temporary traffic management measures.

In the longer term, if the new rank configuration aligns well with passenger demand and the redesigned town centre, it could support more efficient taxi operations and smoother integration with other transport modes, including the future transport interchange and the franchised bus network that is being introduced in St Helens from September 2026. However, the practical impact will depend on how well the new ranks perform in terms of visibility, accessibility and proximity to key destinations once the regeneration works are complete.