PLANS to kickstart the Bridge Street Quarter regeneration scheme have been delayed – due to concerns about the design of a 'blank and overbearing' service yard.

Warrington Borough Council's development control committee deferred a proposal to create a temporary market in the town centre which would allow the £107million project to progress.

The plans would see Warrington Market move to a two-storey glass-fronted building at the junction of Bank Street and Horrocks Lane.

That 3,117sq m space would later be used for shops, cafes, restaurants and leisure facilities, next to a 13-screen Cineworld cinema, as part of the town centre redevelopment due to be completed in 2019.

The market would then move permanently to the old Boots store in Bridge Street.

Phil Grant, from How Planning, said: "This will create a wonderful asset for many years to come. It will ensure the disruption to market traders is minimised and trading can continue.

"It will also allow progress to be made on the project which is important to the regeneration of the borough as a whole."

But councillors were concerned about the building's service yard which would face the Grade II listed Friends Meeting House.

Cllr Steve Wright described it as 'blank and overbearing'.

Cllr Bob Barr said: "This is the single most important application of the next 10 years and it will potentially determine the character of the town for the next 60 years. I can't see any architectural merit to this."

Cllr Judith Wheeler added: "I think that the design is absolutely awful. I think it shows a total lack of imagination. I don't think it brings anything to the town at all."

A decision on the plans was deferred with councillors requesting to see more designs and have more information about the service area.