£52m Bridge Street plan moves closer

WARRINGTON Borough Council’s £52 million plans for the regeneration of the Bridge Street area of the town centre have made significant progress 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 and M Bargains
shop unit in Time Square which was acquired by the council earlier this year.
The plan aims to 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 other stakeholders an opportunity to ask questions and formally register their comments and thoughts regarding the scheme.
A public exhibition will be held over two days:
*Friday June 13 between 2pm and 8pm at the Former Glitz Building, 54 Bank Street, Time Square.
*Saturday June 14 between 9am and 2pm at Warrington Market.
The key elements of the scheme remain the same as when the scheme was first announced in October last year.
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 a new public square.
Subject to consultation, ratification and planning approvals, the first construction phases of the project should start on site in January.
To minimise disruption for existing market traders it is intended to deliver the new 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This will allow the outdated market hall to be demolished and the new market hall to be built behind the listed façade of the former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 will be delivered by Warrington and Co on behalf of the borough council with development partner Muse.
Council leader Terry O’Neill (right) 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”.
Comments may be submitted online at www.warrington.gov.uk/bridgestreet or at www.howplanning.com/consultations
The consultation period will run from Friday June 13 to Friday June 27.