WARRINGTON is on the verge of a transformation, with Northern Powerhouse Rail lining it up for millions of pounds of investment, according to property publication Place North West.
The £45m Northern Powerhouse Rail’s second phase will centre on a new Liverpool to Manchester line with a new station at Warrington Bank Quay, unlocking £90bn of regional economic uplift in the process.
Some 306 acres of land around Bank Quay would provide up to 4,500 homes and 2m sq ft of commercial floorspace
Both Warrington Borough Council and Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority are ready to make the most of this opportunity, says Place North West.
But critics are already lining-up to find fault in the vision – in particular the suggestion that the new Bank Quay station will turn the town into a destination.
Many believe Warrington is already a destination!
One critic asks: “Why is this such a good thing? Hospital can’t cope NOW. Schools overcrowded, infrastructure broken, inadequate dentists, doctors. Seriously, the whole thing is immoral”
Another critic describes the scheme as “blue skies thinking” from Northern Powerhouse Rail. What is really needed is proper investment in the existing network, they say.
Yet another critic points out that Warrington already has “loads of empty office space.”
The existing route via Warrington Central station should be upgraded, with electrification, upgraded line speeds and in-cab signalling. This would be far cheaper than a third railway and achieve the same economic and social returns, says another critic.
But there is also support for the vision: “Just what the town needs – we are so well positioned with the motorway networks as well as railway. Let’s hope this isn’t just talk and we do see this project come to life,” is one comment.
According to Place North West, the Warrington Bank Quay plan is about leveraging the benefits of the high-connectivity rail network, while also providing people with a reason to get off the train, exit the station, and spend some time in the town.
It reimagines the 306 acres around the train station as providing up to 4,500 homes and 2m sq ft of commercial floorspace.
Place quotes Warrington Council Leader and member of the Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority Board Cllr Hans Mundry as describing the plan as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity.”
“This is far more than just a transport upgrade, it is a catalyst for major economic and social regeneration that will shape our town for decades to come,” he is quoted as saying.
But Place admits the plan is still in its infancy. It aspires to have a town centre that is a vibrant, bustling place filled with quality restaurants, shops, offices, and homes and with more footfall, higher density and longer visits.
