Members of the Reconnecting Runcorn Town Deal Board, Lucy Gardner (Director of Strategy and Partnerships at Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust) and Nick Smith (Regional Growth Manager at Avanti West Coast) joined fellow board member Tony Collacott, founding Trustee at the Wat Phra Singh UK and the Ubosot Hall to see first-hand the progress being delivered through the town’s £23.6 million Towns Fund investment.

The visit comes following Avanti West Coast introducing additional services on its Liverpool route as part of its December 2025 timetable enhancement – strengthening connectivity between Liverpool, Runcorn, the wider Liverpool City Region and London.

With enhanced rail services and visible regeneration now aligning, the message is clear: Sstep off at Runcorn.

From Sitcom Setting to Cultural Landmark

Wat Phra Singh UK is located in the former Waterloo Pub – known nationally as the primary setting of Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, which first aired 25 years ago and was set in Runcorn. Today, that same site represents a new chapter in the town’s story. The transformation into a nationally significant Buddhist temple and cultural destination reflects the scale of change underway.

Adjacent to the main temple building, an Ubosot Hall – the temple’s ceremonial ordination hall and most sacred space – represents the next major milestone for the site. In Buddhist tradition, the Ubosot is where key religious ceremonies take place, making it both architecturally and spiritually significant.

Alongside its religious role, the hall has been designed as a welcoming community space. It will provide a venue for local organisations and groups, including the Women’s Institute and Hazlehurst Studios strengthening the temple’s role as a place of gathering and shared activity.

The Ubosot Hall will also support Halton Borough Council’s emergency planning arrangements, providing an additional community facility that can be used to support residents when needed.

Tony Collacott, founding Trustee at the Wat Phra Singh UK said “A key challenge has been respectfully balancing Buddhist tradition with wider community engagement. At its core, the hall reflects important symbolism – including protective guardians, boundary markers representing the Noble Eightfold Path and a ceremonial circle of protection – while seamlessly incorporating step-free access and inclusive facilities so the space can welcome local groups.”

Together with the Peace Garden, already delivered as part of the regeneration programme, which established the site as a place of reflection and community gathering, the hall demonstrates how regeneration in Runcorn is bringing together culture, community and civic infrastructure in ways that benefit both residents and visitors.

Through the Ubosot Hall community roof-tile initiative, residents were invited to inscribe their names onto individual tiles, embedding shared ownership quite literally into the fabric of the building and reinforcing regeneration as something shaped with the community, not simply for it.

Located within walking distance of Runcorn railway station, the Ubosot Hall stands as a visible symbol of how culture, heritage and strengthened connectivity are converging -linking local identity with national reach.

A Connected Network of Highlights

The Board visit also reflected on wider progress across the programme, where projects are operating not as isolated schemes, but as a connected network of highlights.

Across Runcorn, internationally recognised artists have transformed the town’s viaduct piers into large-scale public artworks, creating a striking arrival experience and reinforcing the borough’s creative ambition.

Along the Bridgewater Canal, activity has returned. Through the Unlock Runcorn project, the canal is once again in use, with a community launch event later this month (21st March) – reconnecting the town centre with its industrial heritage and strengthening the visitor offer.

Plans to enhance The Brindley Theatre, due to complete later this year, will continue to build a stronger cultural waterfront, while creative and digital enterprises along the High Street are supporting skills, opportunity and enterprise.

From station to street art, from temple to theatre, the town’s transformation is visible -walkable and wheelable.

Rail Connectivity Supporting Regeneration and Investment

Runcorn’s position between London and Liverpool has always been strategic. The introduction of additional Avanti West Coast services strengthens that role – improving accessibility for commuters, day visitors, cultural audiences and, crucially, investors travelling north or south along the corridor.

Improved connectivity supports:

  • Visitor growth in both directions
  • Cultural and tourism exchange
  • Access to employment and education
  • Business development and inward investment
  • Greater national visibility for the town

The Station Quarter was among the programme’s early deliverables, laying the foundations for a stronger arrival experience and signalling the ambition of the wider regeneration strategy. As further projects come forward, enhanced rail services ensure their impact extends beyond the local area.

Nick Smith, Regional Growth Manager at Avanti West Coast and member of the Reconnecting Runcorn Town Deal Board, said: “At Avanti, we’re extremely proud to be connecting more customers than ever with Runcorn following the recent uplift of services on our Liverpool route.

“This improved connectivity means we’re able to highlight the positive community impact of regeneration projects such as Ubosot Hall, the public art programme and the canal activation to a much wider range of customers.

“With two trains per hour throughout most hours of the day now operating between Runcorn and London, there’s never been a better time to visit the town – it’s no longer somewhere your train simply passes through, it’s a destination on the West Coast Main Line that it is worth stepping off for.”

A Town Reconnected

Backed by £23.6 million from the Government’s Towns Fund, Reconnecting Runcorn is delivering 8 projects across 15 strands focused on connectivity, transport, culture, skills, housing, environment and visitor economy.

The upcoming Board visit underlines how those strands are converging and how strengthened rail connections are helping carry Runcorn’s transformation further along the West Coast Main Line.

Positioned between London and Liverpool, and connected by rail, canal and culture, Runcorn is emerging as a town defined by its connections and the opportunities they create.