Golden Square mobile ‘phone mast plan is thrown out

PLANNING chiefs have thrown out an application for 10m high mobile ‘phone mast on top of the multi-storey car park at Warrington’s Golden Square shopping centre.

The proposal, put forward on behalf of telecommunications giant EE, was for a single-storey ancillary/plant building on the rooftop of the car park, between Boots and the shopping centre.

Officers say the scheme is unacceptable because it would be visually prominent and intrusive when views from Old Mark Place and Market Gate and would have a detrimental impact in terms of visual amenity at street level, harming the streetscene and the roofscape.

A report states: “The proposal, by virtue of its location, scale, height and design will result in a visible and unduly prominent and incongruous structure which will harm visual amenity, detract from the amenity of the public realm and upon the historic roofscapes in Old Market Place and detract from the attractiveness of the wider town centre.”

Officers point out that Old Market Place is a busy public and events space, and one of Warrington’s primary retail and event locations.

It dates back to the 13th century, when it was used as a cattle market

“This area has long had an important association with the town’s various markets and trading fairs, datingback to when the first charter for a fair was granted by the 7th Baron of Warrington in 1255.

Two further Royal Charters were granted by King Edward in 1277 and 1285.

However, there were no objections to the proposal from the public.