Land rejig to unlock Southern Gateway

Warrington Council is to approve the relocation of the town’s bus depot, which would then free up land around Wilderspool Causeway for the creation of up to 1,300 homes. 

Plans for a new-build bus station on Dallam Lane, proposed by Wire Regeneration – a joint venture between Warrington Council and developer Langtree – were approved in 2019. 

As well as more than 1,000 homes, Wire Regeneration’s vision for the Southern Gateway of Warrington includes a commercial area fronting the south side of Bridgefoot and the River Mersey, enhanced public spaces, and a hotel. 

Approval by the council’s cabinet is the next step required to progress the redevelopment of the Southern Gateway area. 

Last year, the Government awarded Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership £5m from its Getting Building Fund to support the relocation of the bus depot. 

 

 

Warrington Bus Depot

Plans for a replacement depot on Dallam Road have already been approved

The Southern Gateway is one of six areas to come forward for redevelopment under Warrington’s town centre masterplan. Others include the Stadium Quarter, Bank Quay Gateway, and Time Square, which Muse Developments is delivering for the council. 

The relocation of the existing bus depot is seen as a priority in terms of progressing plans for the Southern Gateway, “due to its prominence off Brian Bevan roundabout”, according to a council report, which added that failure to relocate the depot could “severely compromise” the council’s regeneration proposals. 

As well as the bus depot, other sites within the Southern Gateway include the former Wilderspool Rugby Ground, Wharf Industrial Estate, and the St James Court offices. 

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There is still no mention of what purpose the former rail line (brown diagonal in the artist’s impression) is set to be? Artists impressions on the Warrington Guardian site show this to be a road route level with the rest of the road network around Bridge Foot?. One of the most contentious elements of this Southern Gateway is how it links in with existing road routes, or leads to a new bypass being created through existing housing in South Warrington. I don’t know how plans can be progressed for up to 1,300 more dwellings, in the most congested part of Warrington, without a road network being designed first to cope with this influx? Or is it a case of just not publicising this contentious element in an all out council election year?

By Concerned resident

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