UKREiiF | Warrington fleshes out 300-acre masterplan for Bank Quay

Around 4,500 homes and 2m sq ft of commercial space could be delivered next door to the town’s main train station under plans being drawn up in response to the anticipated arrival of a new railway line between Liverpool and Manchester.

Speaking at a briefing at WSP’s Leeds office as UKREiiF kicked off down the road, Warrington Council director of place Steve Hunter unveiled the masterplan for Warrington Bank Quay, which has been drawn up by WSP and Aecom.

The masterplan sets out a vision for thousands of homes and much-needed workspace that could accommodate around 10,000 staff on 300 acres of disused brownfield and former industrial land around the station.

“Ultimately, we think this is a huge opportunity to place Warrington right at the heart of the North’s economic and transport network,” Hunter said.

The masterplan was funded by government and has been unveiled at UKREiiF following 14 months of preparation and discussion between the Warrington Bank Quay Advisory Board, featuring the council, DfT, MHCLG, DBT, and Homes England.

The Bank Quay scheme is seen as the borough’s premier regeneration opportunity but depends upon the delivery of the so called Northern-Arc line, which might not open until well into the 2040s.

Treasury has committed to £45bn to the infrastructure project, which would link Manchester and Liverpool – with a stop at Warrington – as part of Northern Powerhouse Rail.

The plans have been revealed today. Credit: via Grey Fox

The line could cut journey times between the town and the two cities to 15 minutes each way, free up capacity on the other two Manchester to Liverpool routes, and create an interchange with the West Coast Mainline, which already runs through Warrington.

However, this is much more than just a rail project, according to Hunter. Years of lobbying by the council to have the line pass through Warrington creates a “huge opportunity for a very sustainable urban regeneration” at the heart of the town, he said.

“If this is just put forward as a transport scheme it won’t get delivered. It will get delivered through the scale of regeneration it can deliver,” Hunter added.

The homes planned will ease pressure on Warrington’s Green Belt and that of Cheshire East Council and Cheshire West and Chester Council who will, as part of a devolved combined authority, be able to spread housing targets between them.

The commercial element would deliver much-needed office space in Warrington, which has not seen any speculative workspace developed in 15 years, according to Vince Sandwell, the founder of Warrington-based advisory firm BE Group.

Sandwell, who has been monitoring the Warrington commercial market for the last 28 years, said that while a lack of supply was pushing rents upwards it means a lack of options for firms looking to move into the area or relocate within it.

“Occupation levels are very high and availability is an issue in the office sector,” he said, outlining the findings of the annual Warrington Property Review.

Last year, 170,000 sq ft of office space was transacted in Warrington, the vast majority at Birchwood Park. This figure was down on the average of 247,000 sq ft, underlining the need to build more office space in the town.

History dictates that “if you build [in Warrington] you will let and sell the space very quickly,” Sandwell said.

Warrington Bank Quay presents the town’s clearest opportunity to develop new-build office space close to a transport interchange in a manner similar to Stockport Exchange or Mayfield in Manchester.

However, the delivery of the masterplan relies heavily upon the construction of the new railway line. The cancellation of the Northern leg of HS2 taught Northern leaders that nothing is guaranteed and Hunter is alive to the need to hedge his bets somewhat.

“We are very wary of not putting all of our eggs in one basket,” he said. “We need to look at Warrington as a whole.”