Office plan withdrawn

A PLAN to change the use of a town centre shop at Warrington into a financial services office has been withdrawn.
The plan at 33, Bridge Street, was due to be considered by the borough council’s planning committee but was withdrawn by the applicants, National Cash Services after an objection was received by Cllr Steve Parish.
The office would have offered pay day advances, a cheque cashing service and international money transfer/exchanges.
Officers had recommended the change of use be approved because, despite the general presumption against office use in retail areas, because the shop had been vacant for a long time and a non-retail use would bring it back into use and reduce the number of empty shops in Bridge Street.
But Cllr Parish said the conversions would be contrary to council policy and that the Town Centre Board did not consider that a non-retail use was better than a vacant shop.