New vision for the town centre

A MASTER plan for the redevelopment of the Bridge Street and Market area of Warrington town centre has been prepared by consultants.
The multi million £ vision for the future includes a new, more compact, market to replace the existing facility – built only 34 years ago – a large, quality food store, more shops and offices, a hotel, leisure development and new town centre library.
There would also be a major public open space leading to the riverside at Bridge Foot, including a piazza for outdoor markets, exhibitions and other events.
The scheme is described as “deliverable” by Town Hall chiefs.
A second master plan for the Mersey waterfront between Howley Weir and Bank Quay has also been prepared, although in less detail because of the larger area and longer timescale.
It is hoped a start could be made on public realm improvements for Lower Bridge Street as early as next year.
The council’s executive board will be asked to approve the plan for Bridge Street and the Market next week and also endorse the vision for the Mersey waterfront.
A report to the board says major environmental improvements will be necessary in Lower Bridge Street and are likely to include reducing its use by buses to a one-way operation.
The replacement market would be a more compact, contemporary building occupying broadly the same site and the new shops would include smaller units suitable for independent retailers.
The existing Market multi-storey car park would be demolished but some parking would be possible on the “lower levels” of the new development.
Other new public parking facilities would be relocated to “edge of town” sites.
To allow greater access to the riverside from the town centre, it is suggested the link between Wilson Patten Street and Mersey Street be closed to general traffic. But this would only be possible after wider transport improvements in the town centre and waterfront areas.
The consultants have prepared a more ambitious option which would also include a major new cultural facility, including library, art gallery, museum and theatre. But when costed there was a major cost deficit amount to more than £60 million.
The “deliverable” option shows a deficit of less than £10 million.
It could take up to five years to implement, depending on economic conditions. But once the market picks up it is seen as viable.
Access to the waterfront area is difficult, and the consultants say it will require significant transport infrastructure developments including new bridges, roads and dedicated publish transport routes.
A through route from Chester Road to Sankey Bridges is possible but critical to regeneration plans will be the removal of the railway that is currently a barrier between the area and the existing town centre. New riverside developments are envisaged, near Bridge Foot.
The waterfront scheme is long term – over 20-30 years.
The Bridge Street-Market development would be wholly funded by the private sector. The waterfront scheme would by largely paid for by the private sector but some public funding would be necessary.
Picture: Lower Bridge Street, where the development could start next year