As part of the ongoing plans for the No: 7 Bottle Shop, a bid was submitted to the Heat Networks Delivery Unit (HNDU) part of the HM Governments Department of Leveling Up, Housing & Communities, last year. The bid represents a joint initiative by the St Helens Borough Council and the Cannington Shaw Preservation Trust CIC to establish a District Heat Network – CHP at the Bottle Shop. This innovative approach to heritage conservation and sustainability could provide heat and power to local domestic and commercial buildings and organisations such as St Helens Hospital.
Chairman and Project Director for Cannington Shaw, John Tabern said: ‘I couldn’t be more delighted at the news that we have been successful with the bid to fund a feasibility study at the site of such an historic building. The advent of a potential supply of low carbon blue hydrogen from the Hynet Stanlow plant in the next few years makes the project an exciting opportunity to place the No: 7 Bottle Shop at the forefront of cutting edge technology, as it was when it first opened in 1886.’
Leader of St Helens Council – David Baines and John, met at the Bottle Shop earlier in the week to discuss the successful bid and the potential it represents. Commenting David said ‘This is a fantastic opportunity for the town and represents a unique prospect to bring more high tech industry to the borough.’
The grant from HNDU will provide two thirds of the funding required for the feasibility study, with the other third coming in match funding from the St Helens Town Deal Fund. Preliminary planning is now underway, lead by John Tabern in partnership with St Helens Council.
