Planners to rule on demolition that has already taken place

PLANNING chiefs at Warrington will tonight study an eight page report on an application to demolish one of the town’s most historic buildings – even though it has already been demolished.
The application for Listed Building consent to demolish the late 19th century Sunday School adjacent to Cairo Street Unitarian Chapel comes from Warrington and Co – the town’s urban regeneration partnership – and officers are recommending it for approval.
Historic England had indicated it could not support the loss of the Sunday School as it added to the significance of the adjoining chapel, which dates from 1745 and is the second oldest place of worship in Warrington.
But they did not object to the demolition because of the dilapidated condition of the building.
Planning officers say the loss of the building was “highly regrettable.”
Members of the borough council’s development management committee will be told it is a criminal offence not to apply for Listed Building consent when it is required. But it is a defence if work is urgently necessary for health and safety reasons.
A structural report had indicated the building was in a dangerous condition.
The future of the Sunday School building has been under discussion for a number of years, along with the adjacent Cabinet Works, Garnett’s Tower and associated buildings. They have now all been demolished.
The Sunday School was the subject of an archaeological evaluation in 2006 and a programme of historic building recording the following year. The reports are now held in the Cheshire Historic Environment Record.
Consent to demolish it was granted in 2008, but the work was not undertaken at that time and since then the building has been broken into several times and more damage caused both internally and externally.
As a result, the architectural and historic interest of the building had been severely diminished.
The committee will be told the demolition of the Sunday School and the other buildings already demolished, will enable regeneration of the area to take place.
While the exact nature of the redevelopment is not yet known, the Masterplan for the area makes it clear that any future redevelopment will be sensitive and seek to enhance the character and appearance of the Conservation Area and preserve the setting and significance of the Listed Cairo Street Chapel.