A MAJOR plan for a new supermarket, pub and drive-through coffee shop looks set to be given the green light by planners at Warrington.
The scheme, put forward by CPG Property Developments, involves the site of the former Fordton
Leisure Centre, in Chiltern Road, Orford.
The leisure centre – which was created in the 1980s by conversion of a former schools built around 1930 – was demolished recently, following the opening of the new Orford Park Community Hub
Officers are recommending the proposals be approved even though it conflicts with council policy that new retail developments should be in the town centre. They say it is not likely to have any impact on the viability of the town centre.
The site is currently owned by the borough council.
Objections have been received from three nearby residents and one town centre-based company.
The proposals are for a 1,418 sq metre supermarket, a drive-through coffee shop of 172 sq metres, a family pub/restaurant of 1,017 sq metres and two retail units of 186 sq metres.
A report to be considered by the borough’s development management committee indicates the complex will have an active frontage onto Winwick Road, which will mean the loss of a green area between the site and the road.
But a narrow strip with landscaping and trees will be retained.
6 Comments
If town centre management seriously wish shoppers to go there rather than the retail parks, then they should:
* offer longer opening hours (not 9am-6pm) for those who work full time and therefore not able to take advantage of what the town centre offers,
* offer free parking (rent of shops should cover this with the income they get from the footfall of shoppers),
* drive out the late night visitors who cause ASB in the centre,
* improve the road network to cut down on traffic that packs up around 5pm,
* and the list goes on…
I feel a lot safer and save money by shopping in the retail parks around Warrington when comparing it to town centre. Perhaps town centre should follow by the retail parks’ example as already stated.
Perhaps more objections would have been received if the council hadn’t treated it as a state secret. They don’t trust us to vote on the council tax (keeping the increase just below the limit for a referendum) and won’t let us know what is being planned in our town on what was publicly owned land. How much the officers are in charge at the council is debatable – what is clear is that the views of the people don’t matter to the Labour junta
To be fair its not something anyone is going to make destination trip for at the expense of the Town centre. its obviously going to be a Tesco Express at that size. the two much smaller retail units could be anything but given the demographics of the area a fast food outlet would certainly be an option for one……and a pub/restaurant in poplars?????……not my preffered choice of places to eat. I would most likely go to the winwick quay pub or the swan at Winwick.
ahh apologies….I have misread 1400 sq mts not feet..!!! which is a 15,000 sq ft unit. which is a bit different then that would be a Tesco Metro, Aldi or Lidl,.. either way its going to be shoehorned into the site…so plenty of green green grass tarmaced….!!!
Shopper.
Be careful bringing common sense into the argument. You could get locked up, it’s not part of the plan.
Costa, Aldi, Joseph Holt and Greggs.