Member Article

Warrington’s £52 million retail scheme moving forward

Plans for the regeneration of Warrington’s Bridge Street area, originally announced last October, are progressing towards a start on site.

A number of key property and land acquisitions have been made and negotiations with traders in Time Square and at Warrington Market continue.

As part of essential pre-construction survey work, trial bore holes are currently being dug, including a number in the former B & M Bargains shop unit in Time Square which was acquired by Warrington Borough Council earlier this year.

The £52 million plan will regenerate and revitalise the traditional retail heart of Warrington town centre in Bridge Street and create a new family-friendly shopping, restaurant and leisure experience with a contemporary market hall and civic offices at its centre.

A planning application will be submitted this coming August following a formal public consultation exercise which is being undertaken as part of the planning process to gain local views and opinions on the draft proposals. It will offer residents, businesses and stakeholders an opportunity to ask questions and formally register their comments and thoughts regarding the scheme.

The Public Exhibition will be held over two days:

• Friday 13th June 2014 between 2pm and 8pm at the Former Glitz Building, 54 Bank Street, Time Square, Warrington WA1 2AR

• Saturday 14th June 2014 between 9am and 2pm at Warrington Retail Market, Warrington WA1 2EN

The key elements of the scheme remain the same as those announced in October 2013. The updated scheme will have a new market hall at its heart, a multiplex cinema, a number of family friendly restaurants, a new council office building and will create a new public square.

Subject to consultation, ratification and planning approvals, the first construction phases of the project should start on site in January 2015.

In order to facilitate delivery of the Bridge Street scheme and minimise disruption for the existing market traders it is intended to deliver the market in two stages.

In the first stage a new retail unit will be constructed on the site of Time Square which will be fully equipped and fitted out to serve as a two-year provisional home for the market. This will then allow the outdated market hall to be demolished and the new market hall to be built behind the listed façade of the former Boots building on Bridge Street

The project has been driven and will be delivered by Warrington & Co., on behalf of Warrington Borough Council with development partner Muse.

Councillor Terry O’Neill, leader of Warrington Borough Council said: “This project is moving forward now at a considerable pace.

“When we revealed our plans last October we had an overwhelmingly positive response and this pre-planning consultation is another chance for the public, businesses and stakeholders to discuss view and comment upon the scheme. We are excited about the prospect of a planning application being submitted in August and a start on site looming closer”.

Matt Crompton, joint managing director of Muse Developments, said: “Working closely with Warrington Borough Council we are pleased there is activity occurring on a number of fronts.

“This is in preparation for the delivery of the scheme which will successfully transform Bridge Street into a vibrant area of the town centre and deliver a wide range of benefits for business, visitors and residents alike”.

The consultation period will run from Friday 13th June to Friday 27th June 2014.

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