Glass Futures Glass Futures The proposals for a pioneering £54million glass research and innovation facility in St Helens have been unanimously approved by the council s planning committee. The planning application was prepared and submitted by developer and landowner Network Space, on behalf of not-for-profit research and technology organisation Glass Futures, to build the 160,000 sq ft Global Centre of Excellence at the former United Glass site in Peasley Cross. The planning consent confirms the delivery of the state-of-the-art facility, together with what will be the world’s first openly accessible test and trial furnace operation, to St Helens. Works is set to start on site in July.
Red Bank ST HELENS Council has drawn up plans for the £6.8m redevelopment of a maintained special school at the former Red Bank unit site. Back in September, cabinet members had approved proposals to relocate Penkford Special School in Wharf Road, Newton-le-Willows, to the former Red Bank education unit site. Red Bank Community Home housed some of the country’s most notorious criminals, such Jon Venables, one of James Bulger’s killers, in its secure unit for juveniles. The facility, along with its education unit, was closed in June 2014, which left Red Bank Schools Limited with a large, redundant, purpose-built facility.