AMBITIOUS proposals to transform Hilden House near Warrington town centre into 100, one-bed apartments have been given the green light by planners.
Liverpool-based Caro Developments have been successful with their planning application to Warrington Borough Council for the £18m refurbishment of the redundant former Department for Work and Pensions office building.
Hilden House, which has a prime position opposite Warrington’s Georgian town hall and the 17-acre Bank Park, will be converted to 100 one-bed apartments under permitted development rights. The development will include a concierge, a fully equipped gym and wellness room, a residents’ lounge and co-working area, as well as a dedicated secure parcel room.
The planning application was submitted at the beginning of February, with Neil Carlyle of developers Caro committing to begin work immediately on the development, should consent be granted.
He said at the time: “This is a superb location that will allow us to provide high-specification homes that contribute towards the council’s strategy of boosting the number of town centre residents. We will set a new benchmark for quality and for rental levels and will begin work promptly on receipt of consent.”
The 52,400-square-foot building rises to five storeys, with an exposed white concrete frame and dark brick cladding. Its position within the Town Hall Conservation Area means any façade modifications will have to be sympathetic to the surrounding area, says architect Robert Brym of Falconer Chester Hall.
“The building offers us a pleasing urban aesthetic with scope to use updated fenestration to give it a very contemporary feel amidst the redbrick palette of the surrounding streets,” said Brym.
“It’s a very sustainable location and by utilising adaptive reuse we’ll reduce the environmental impact of the project through the generation of less waste and reduced demand for energy.”
The development offers 58 car parking spaces and cycle and bin storage to the rear of the building, accessed via Winmarleigh Street. Savills advised on planning and heritage, with Clancy (structural engineers) also part of the project’s professional team.
Hilden House was previously used by the Department for Work and Pensions and was constructed in 1977. The building was acquired from Elite UK Real Estate Investment Trust in November 2024 for £3.3m, subject to planning.
Located near the town’s historic Golden Gates the work will be required to be sympathetic to the Town Hall conservation area.
