A 'once in a lifetime' regeneration of two Merseyside town centres has been set out in newly-published proposals.
The plans to transform St Helens and Earlestown are being brought forward via a project set to span the next two decades.
The draft proposals, which are set to see 'real big transformational change', have been made public by St Helens Council.
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The authority has said the plans will "facilitate transformational change that will build upon each of the town centres existing assets, heritage, strengths and aspirations, through the delivery of high-quality, sustainable regeneration - repurposing these key centres into exciting, vibrant and connected places for residents, businesses and visitors to enjoy".
Lisa Harris, executive director of place services at the council : "We want town centres that are clearly vibrant and matches the needs of the people of St Helens - but also matches the changing needs of the people and businesses of St Helens.
"We've got a really strong heritage and history in St Helens and we're really proud of that heritage.
"We've got some amazing assets in our town centre - be that the World of Glass Museum, historic buildings, the Gamble, we've got the Parish Church, so really key assets as well as some modern assets like the improvements that have been made to the station and the college already so we want to build on those."
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Both town centres are the subject of separate draft Masterplan Development Frameworks, which set out multi-million-pound vision and principles for each.
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The Frameworks have been prepared by St Helens Borough Council in partnership with regeneration experts, the English Cities Fund (ECF), and have been published ahead of a special cabinet meeting to discuss the proposals on Wednesday, October 20.
ECF is a partnership between Muse Developments, Legal and General and Homes England and brings together investment, regeneration expertise and long-term commitment to shape towns and cities for the better.
Delivery of the ambitions for St Helens town centre are expected to span the next 20 years, with an initial phase one planning application anticipated to be submitted early next year following a six-week consultation period where the council will take the plans to the people of St Helens for their say.
Draft plans of St Helens town centre's phase one include ambitions to reduce the overall retail space and replace it with a new mixed-use development including a new market, a hotel, new cutting edge flexible commercial grade A office space, a new bus station and improved connectivity.
It also includes the creation of a new public realm and a new green park called 'Discovery Park' in the centre of the town all with an expected completion date of Winter 2024..
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Future phases of the 20-year master plan will span into the other parts of the town centre including St Marys and improve residential links to assets such as the World of Glass Museum as well as bringing in more greenspace into the town including a Discovery Park.
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The proposals for St Helens divide the town centre into four zones, each of which will each play a role in the wider transformation of the town centre.
These zones are; the Central Retail Zone; the Civic and Heritage Zone; the Discovery Zone; and the Education and Entertainment Zone - starting with the transport hub in the towns.
The draft masterplan framework in Earlestown seeks to return the town to its former glory as a market town by creating a thriving and vibrant high street and marketplace.
It is envisaged this will be achieved through a variety of measures including reopening the Town Hall and re-defining Market Square as a place for people with a multi-use offer.
Transport is also at the centre of the Earlestown regeneration with ambitions including accessibility improvements at Earlestown rail station and consideration to a new transport hub adjacent that brings together the town's transportation links.
It is hoped this will promote multi-modal journeys which is key to boosting economic vitality and enabling commuters to travel and interchange conveniently.
Similarly to St Helens plans an initial Phase One planning application for Earlestown town centre will be submitted in early 2022 with the phase one completion date estimated to be a year earlier than St Helens aiming for winter 2023.