PLANNING chiefs have approved proposals for a coffee shop and flexible events venue at the historic former Parr’s Bank building in Winwick Street, Warrington.
Approval had already been granted earlier this year for most of the Grade 2 Listed building to be converted to a 16-bed hotel.
Now the go-ahead has been approved for the coffee shop and events venue proposals on the ground floor.
The bank’s history dates back to the late 18th century, with a possible starting date of 1782. The first partnership was with Joseph Parr, a sugar boiler, his brother-in-law Matthew Lyon, and Walter Kerfoot, a solicitor. Partnership names changed and the firm was variously known as Parr & Co, and Parr, Lyon and locally as The Warrington Bank.
Parr’s remained essentially a local bank with offices in Warrington, Runcorn and St Helens until 1865 when it became a joint-stock bank under the name Parr’s Banking Company. Helped by a series of acquisitions, including the National Bank of Liverpool, Parr’s built up its presence in Cheshire, Lancashire and Staffordshire; by 1890 there were 22 branches and 21 sub-branches.
By the outbreak of war in 1914 Parr’s had almost 400 branches and sub-branches. In 1918 Parr’s agreed to amalgamate with the London County and Westminster Bank.
