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Warrington Council site sale brings forward £8 million retail development.

Warrington Borough Council has sold a 2.9 acre site for a sum in excess of £2 million which is to be developed into a new £8 million neighbourhood centre covering 28,000 sq ft of space.

The new development will include an Aldi supermarket, a Joseph Holt pub/restaurant, a drive-through Costa Coffee outlet, three small shop units, and a 150 space car park. The scheme is being developed by Cheshire based property developers Consolidated Property Group (CPG).

The site, situated on the arterial A49 Winwick Road in Warrington, was the former site of Fordton Leisure Centre which was vacated in 2012 when the £30 million, Orford Jubilee Hub opened.

Over 60 jobs will be created during the construction period and between 80 and 100 new full and part time jobs when the scheme is completed in April 2014.

Access to the new development will be via Sandy Lane West which was the original entrance to the former leisure centre. The developer will be undertaking highway junction improvement works to ease traffic flow at the junction.

This land sale is part of Warrington Borough Council’s ongoing programme of estate rationalisation to help improve services and provide financial support to front-line services. In recent years this rationalisation programme has attracted nearly £15 million through property sales and reduced annual property associated costs by £1.5 million.

Councillor Mike Hannon, Executive Member for Corporate Property, said: “Sales of property like the Fordton site provide the money to needed build fantastic new facilities like we now have at Orford Jubilee Hub.

“It also brings welcome investment into the town, providing better neighbourhood services for local people and creates opportunities for jobs and growth’

Martin Ridgway, Managing Director of CPG, said: “We are delighted to have worked closely with Warrington Borough Council on the Fordton redevelopment which occupies a prime location and has attracted quality national tenants as a result”.

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