TOWN planners will decide next month on an application to demolish the Bear & Bottle pub and neighbouring garage on Mersey Street involving proposals for 42 apartments in a part six-storey development.
Warrington Borough Council’s planners will consider the application at their meeting on Tuesday, February 21.
The application site comprises an existing public house situated at 88-90 Mersey Street and Thelwall Motors MOT/Car repairs workshop situated on Blackhurst Street (together with a narrow stretch of highway) situated north of Mersey Street. The site is within the town centre (inner area) of Warrington.
The application is proposed by Brenrun Ltd, a Warrington-based family-owned company led by a father-and-son team of developers with over 45 years combined experience in the development sector. They have wide-ranging experience of small and medium-sized developments varying from residential developments, conversion and commercial fit-outs.
Past projects have included renovation and refurbishment of several Grade II listed town centre buildings and conversions for the leisure, hospitality and restaurants/food sector. With each acquisition, the applicant seeks to add commercial value in order to provide jobs and enhance the town’s economy, paired with high-quality developments that will stand the test of time
The application seeks Outline permission for the erection of residential development for up-to 42 self-contained apartments following demolition of existing buildings, together with provision of associated infrastructure and hard and soft landscaping. Indicatively, the housing mix is for 3no. three-bedroom; 6no. two-bedroom and 33no. one-bedroom self-contained apartments.
This indicative design approach is for a stepped frontage design at Mersey Street, stepping up from the existing three-storey facades at street level, increasing to four stories at set-back before then stepping up again to five and six stories respectively.
The design aims to mediate between the lower-height buildings fronting Mersey Street with the taller six to nine-storey buildings as part of the new Time Square development.
There is no on-site parking for residents proposed, noting that the Time Square multi-storey car park is situated only 71metres to the west, also on Mersey Street. The proposal offers a
financial contribution to a Town Centre Travel Plan that will promote sustainable transport options; the details and principles of which have been agreed with officers at pre-app stage.
Affordable housing has been rounded to the nearest whole unit which equates to 8no. affordable units and expected to comprise a mix as follows:
• 6no. one-bedroom apartments
• 1no. two-bedroom apartments
• 1no. three-bedroom apartment
