Health centre plan approved

MAJOR plans for a new town centre health centre on the site of the closed Warrington Baths have been approved by borough planners.
The scheme – which will involve demolishing the baths and, eventually, the adjoining Garven Place clinic – was given the green light by members of the development control committee.
It will consist of an L-shaped, flat-roofed building of five and three storeys, fronting onto Legh Street and Bath Street with parking accessed from Legh Street.
The health centre will include a pharmacy.
Objections to the scheme came from the Crown and County Court building and a business in Legh Street. But planning officers discounted their fears of traffic and parking problems, loss of privacy and loss of daylight.
Fears were also expressed about a “wholly inadequate” travel plan which, it was suggested, needed a complete rethink.
But planners said a condition be imposed that building work could not start until a new travel plan had been submitted and approved.
The proposed development has been made possible through a “land swap” between the borough council, which owns the baths site, and Warrington Primary Care Trust, which owns Garven Place clinic.