Member Article

Warrington regeneration project announced

Warrington Borough Council has revealed a £52m scheme to regenerate the town centre.

The authority is proposing to redevelop Bridge Street with a shopping, restaurant and leisure area and a new market hall. The development, which also includes a cinema and a new civic centre, will be completed in phases by 2018.

Under the scheme, Warrington’s historic market would be demolished and replaced by a contemporary market, a key feature of an 8.4 acre shopping, restaurant and leisure site. Around 400 jobs will be created by the development.

A multiplex cinema and a civic centre are also part of the scheme, extending from Bridge Street and across the Time Square development.

Coun Terry O’Neill, Leader of Warrington council, said a £400,000 programme of landscaping and environmental improvements is already underway on Lower Bridge Street.

Subject to consultation and planning approvals, the first construction phases should start in Autumn 2014.

Coun O’Neill said: “This is a tremendously exciting moment for our town and a huge step forward in its regeneration and renaissance. Getting to this stage has been difficult and has taken time because of all of the different land and business interests involved in the project but I am very proud that we have finally reached this pivotal moment.”

Coun O’Neill said the Bridge Street Regeneration scheme will complement the £190m Stadium Quarter project.

He added: “This scheme, complemented by the Stadium Quarter scheme and the potential of the Cabinet Works initiative, will herald the start of a return to a revitalised, vibrant town centre. Our vision, as set out in our regeneration framework ‘Warrington Means Business’, is to re-stimulate, re-energise and re-populate the inner town.

“The opportunity to create a new market offers a tremendously exciting proposition not only to create a world class market facility safeguarding its long-term future but also to bring the magnificent former Boots façade back into use.”

The project is to be delivered by Warrington council, its development partner Muse and will be managed by Warrington & Co.

The first building to be built on the Time Square site will be fitted out to serve as a two-year provisional home for the market to allow the existing, outdated market hall to be demolished and the new market hall to be constructed on the site of the former Boots Building on Bridge Street.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .