Councillors to decide on plans to build 240 town centre apartments

Plans for two six-storey apartment blocks on the former DW Sports site in Warrington town centre are being recommended for approval.

Councillors are set to decide on plans for 240 affordable apartments in Warrington town centre, in a scheme that could bring a major new residential community to a key regeneration site.

The proposal, brought forward by Habiko, would see two six-storey apartment buildings built on the former DW Sports site off Academy Way and Bank Street, close to Warrington’s Time Square district.

The development would provide 240 affordable homes for rent, made up of 162 one-bedroom apartments and 78 two-bedroom apartments. The blocks would be arranged around a central landscaped courtyard, creating shared outdoor amenity space for residents.

Planning officers are recommending that Warrington Borough Council’s development management committee delegates approval to the council’s development manager, subject to conditions and a Section 106 legal agreement. If that legal agreement is not signed within six months, officers would have authority to refuse the application.

The site is currently occupied by the former DW Sports building and has been identified as a strategic town-centre location for new affordable housing. The land benefits from access to shops, services, public transport and nearby town-centre facilities.

Habiko is a partnership between Pension Insurance Corporation, Muse and Homes England. It was launched to deliver low-carbon, low-energy affordable homes for rent in areas where demand is high and where residents can access employment, amenities and transport links.

The Warrington proposal is one of Habiko’s first schemes and is designed by AHR Architects, with landscaping by Gillespies. Project information says the homes would be built to support lower energy use and reduce running costs for future residents.

A key feature of the application is that the scheme would be 100% affordable housing. Reports state the homes would be offered at tenures not exceeding Local Housing Allowance rates or at least 20% below local market rent.

Supporters are likely to argue that the development makes strong use of a town-centre brownfield site and provides much-needed affordable rental homes without pushing further development onto greenfield land.

The location is also important. Warrington town centre has seen major investment around Time Square in recent years, and bringing more residents into the area could help support shops, cafés, restaurants and local services.

Town-centre living is increasingly seen as a way to strengthen local economies. More residents living close to amenities can help generate footfall outside traditional shopping hours and support a more active daytime and evening economy.

However, the scale of the scheme means councillors will need to consider issues including design, height, amenity space, access, highways and the wider impact on local services.

One notable part of the proposal is that there would be no vehicular parking on site because of the town-centre location. Cycle parking would be provided instead. This is likely to be an important point in the committee discussion, with councillors weighing sustainable town-centre living against concerns about parking pressure in surrounding streets.

Local concern has also been raised about pressure on public services. Councillor John Roddy has objected to the scheme, arguing that Warrington Hospital cannot cope with the extra population the development would bring and suggesting the plans should be put on hold until hospital waiting and treatment times improve.

That objection reflects a wider issue in many Cheshire planning debates: whether new homes are being matched quickly enough by investment in health, transport and other infrastructure.

For Warrington, the application comes at a time when the town centre is being reshaped from a mainly retail and office-led environment into a mixed-use centre with more homes, leisure, public space and services.

Developments such as this are often seen as part of the answer to changing high streets. Empty or underused sites can be brought back into productive use, while new residents can help support businesses and create a stronger sense of activity.

But the success of town-centre apartment schemes depends on quality. Residents need good internal space, access to light, safe routes, useful communal areas and a design that adds to the town rather than simply maximising the number of units.

The central courtyard proposed for the Warrington scheme is intended to provide shared amenity space for residents, while the two-block layout is designed to fit within the urban setting.

If approved, the development would mark a significant step in the reuse of the former DW Sports site and would add a large number of affordable homes close to the heart of Warrington.

The decision will also show how strongly the council wants to support high-density affordable housing in central locations, particularly where schemes are car-free and close to shops, transport and employment.

For residents, the key question will be whether the benefits of 240 affordable homes outweigh concerns about parking, pressure on services and the impact of two six-storey buildings in the town centre.

Councillors are expected to consider the application at Warrington Borough Council’s development management committee next week.

Open article on Cheshire Today