NEW proposals for the re-development of the former Garven Place clinic site in Warrington town centre will be put to the borough council’s cabinet next Monday (October 9).
The scheme would involve the sale of two council-owned buildings – the Grade 2 Listed Bank House and 86 Sankey Street, both of which currently stand empty.
But the scheme would not involve the loss of the council-operated public car park which, it is hoped, would remain as far as possible.
A preferred purchaser has been identified – but details will be considered in the Part 2, private part of Monday’s meeting.
The new scheme replaces one put forward in 2019 when a developer proposed to convert Bank House and 86 Sankey Street into a boutique hotel, restaurant, spa and swimming pool. The rest of the site would have been developed with residential apartments and a reconfigured car park.
However, a number of factors, including Covid 19 issues and conservation, heritage and planning challenges delayed the scheme and the preferred developer withdrew their interest.
Now it is again proposed to appoint a developer to progress a scheme at their own risk. This scheme would also re-use existing buildings but would have more modest aims for the surrounding land – mainly to supplement and improve car parking provision.
As previously, council chiefs see the proposal as regenerating an area of unused vacant land, providing a quality development next to the Town Hall and bringing two landmark buildings back into use.
They say the scheme is deliverable and has planning and financial viability compared to the previous and other proposals.
The council would receive a capital receipt following completition of the sale of the site.
Details of the offers received will be considered in the private section of the meeting.
The wider, Garven Place site
1 Comment
Always nervous when you hear this council say, ” A preferred purchaser has been identified – but details will be considered in the Part 2, private part of Monday’s meeting. “