A POPULAR sports bar and social club is set to be turned into an embroidery shop.

Roosters on Liverpool Road is set to be extended and converted into a new base for Touchline UK, an embroiderers which plans to move to the site from its current base on Kerfoot Street in Bewsey.

The Whitecross bar closed two years ago and remains vacant, with an application for planning permission submitted to Warrington Borough Council hoping to bring the building back into use.

Applicant Ray Fisher has proposed a two-storey extension to the front of the premises as part of the plans, allowing for a reception area and showroom.

A total of 18 full-time and one part-time employees would be based on the site, which would be in operation from 7am to 5pm from Mondays to Fridays and between 9am and 4pm on Saturdays.

Planning application documents stated: "The premises relied heavily on the function room trade to make a profit and to make the business viable.

"Between 2000 and 2014, the popularity of birthday parties, weddings anniversaries, engagements and christenings kept the business afloat.

"However, the market has since changed with trends away from such functions in social clubs.

"Despite a costly refurbishment and regular advertising and marketing, the function room bookings steadily reduced until they were no longer sufficient to prop up the overall business – resulting in the club losing money.

"The owner had no choice but to close up and move on – the business was no longer viable and the building has remained vacant for more than two years.

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"It is clear that the use as social club is no longer viable proposition.

"This is now ever more the case than two years ago as during last winter, the cold weather resulted in the water tank in the roof space bursting – causing a celling collapse and significant internal damage to fixtures and fittings that would need to be replaced."

A consultation on the plans runs until Friday, June 7.