All-clear for Wilderspool housing
Outline planning permission has been granted to public-private developer Wire Regeneration for 160 homes at the former Warrington RLFC Wilderspool ground.
Wire Regeneration is a joint venture between Langtree and Warrington Borough Council set up to develop the wider Southern Gateway area. Wilderspool, built in 1881, closed in 2003 when the club moved to the Halliwell Jones Stadium, and was demolished in 2014.
Neal Biddle, development director at Langtree, said: “We’ve sought to reflect the very best standards of urban design. Our intention is to create a strong gateway to the town centre and by re-using this brownfield site we can contribute to Warrington’s housing needs.
“This development is about setting the bar for the rest of our ambitions. We’ve worked closely with our designers and the council to ensure the scheme adds value to the neighbourhood and we’re looking forward to work starting on site.”
The detailed design phase will now get underway to finalise the layout and appearance of the homes. The scheme was designed by Spawforths and is expected to cost around £25m to complete, including public open space, measures to improve traffic flows and provision of some extra on-street parking spaces for the existing residents of Fletcher and Priory streets.
The development is to be called Bevan Mews in honour of Brian Bevan, Warrington’s mid-20th century winger, who is the only man to be inducted into both the Australian and British rugby league halls of fame.
Good tribute to the great Bev. Will the green space have rugby posts?
By Bob