A HISTORIC building in the town centre has been demolished after its roof collapsed.
The former council office and school house on Cairo Street was bulldozed suddenly on New Year’s Eve, without planning permission.
Warrington Borough Council received an emergency callout to the site on Friday, December 28.
It was found that major structural brickwork supporting the roof had collapsed, with ‘numerous unauthorised attempts to access the building’ resulting in it becoming destabilised.
The council found that there was ‘no alternative’ but to demolish the privately-owned building, which was not listed.
READ > Warrington bin collection times for New Year 2019
READ > Plans to turn 'eyesore' into 31 apartments withdrawn by developer
The now-demolished building on Cairo Street - picture by Google Maps
A spokesman said: “The council received an emergency callout on Friday, December 28, when the roof of the building began to suddenly collapse.
“Numerous unauthorised attempts to access the building had been made and major structural brickwork supporting the roof collapsed, resulting in the destabilisation of the building.
The collapsed roof of the building
“Following an inspection, it was clear that there was no alternative but to safely demolish the building to protect the public and prevent damage to adjacent buildings.”
Demolition then took place on Monday, New Year’s Eve.
Warrington Borough Council’s spokesman added: “The roof collapse posed an imminent risk – not just to the gable wall, but to the entire structure.
“While the building was not owned by the council, safety is paramount and the potential danger to members of the public meant it was essential to securely take the building down.
“The owner of the building has been very cooperative in responding to the issue.”
Planning permission had previously been granted to turn the building – which neighboured the Cairo Street Unitarian Chapel and the recently-demolished Garnett Cabinet Work – into a restaurant.
It was thought that the site would become an Italian eatery, with consent for this scheme having been granted in November 2017.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel