Shopping centre to be redeveloped

TIME Square shopping centre at Warrington has been secured for redevelopment by the borough council following its acquisition by the North West Development Agency.
The 1.2 ha site is key to the redevelopment of the entire Bridge Street Quarter, a project which could attract up to £80 million in private sector investment and provide the town with more high-quality office, retail, leisure and hotel developments.
It forms an early part of a long-term development strategy for the town under the Warrington Master Plan, a vision to steer development in the south of the town centre until 2030.
NWDA chief executive Steven Broomhead (pictured) said: “Warrington is a growth town. It has excellent transport links and plenty of out-of-town development, but the huge potential of the town centre has so far been missed.
“The Golden Square shopping centre has proved town centre development can be successful but it is not matched by the office space, hotels and restaurants that a successful commercial district needs. Time Square is a new opportunity on a scale which can support significant regeneration, creating new high-quality leisure and office space, new jobs and levering in a considerable amount of public and private sector funding.”
The Bridge Street Quarter could provide around 80,000sqm of floorspace which will revitalise the area. It will be an area for restaurants and evening use alongside a mix of office and residential developments around a central plaza, which could be used for events or exhibitions, as well as space for an upgraded market.
The Time Square site is approximately a quarter of the main Bridge Street Quarter scheme and is an important first step in progressing the redevelopment of the site. It provides a good opportunity to begin stimulating economic regeneration of this corner of the town centre.
Coun Bob Barr, the borough council’s executive member, for Planning, Regeneration and Housing said: “The Bridge Street Quarter is one of the borough’s key regeneration aspirations and will be important to the revitalisation of the southern part of the town centre. We can now progress this important opportunity.”